Our Meeting Under the Stars
by DerRoterFreiherr
Summary: Kennen has always been a ninja, a loner, forging bonds only with his ninja brother and sister of the Kinkou order. When Teemo appears in his life in during one of his most vulnerable moments, he starts to develop feelings for him. This puts Kennen on a life journey, trying to break out of his shell and explore new found facets of his personality. (Teemo/Kennen Romance)
1. I Just Wanted to be Alone

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! This is my way of learning to get comfortable with gay people. I was raised to not be very tolerant, but I'm trying to move past that. Of course I'm perfectly fine with people being gay (whatever makes you happy, right?), it's just I feel awkward and get a little weirded out around gay people. I love Yordles, they're so cute, and if I can accept them being homosexual, it's a first step to being comfortable around real people in my own life. I know it's strange, but bare with me! Please take some time to review the story! Any reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**Written from Kennen's point of view:**

'I can't believe I was so stupid. How could I have let that happen? This is so humiliating!' I thought to myself as I left the Summoner's Rift and reentered the Institute of War. I had just finished fighting in the worst League match of my life. It was another fight between my home, Ionia, and Noxus, and I was off my game from the start. It started with me forgetting to leash the Ancient Golem for our team's jungler, and things only got worse from there on out. During the laning phase I barely managed to last hit any minions; I just couldn't focus. Pretty soon I foolishly gave first blood to the enemy, and before I knew it I spent half the game out of commission. It turned into a game of me waiting to get summoned, only to reenter the battle and get myself killed again. I cost our team the match; I was the reason we lost to Noxus.

I let myself down, I let my friends down, and worst of all I let the people of Ionia down. We just can't afford any losses against Noxus. It's just not an option. That's why, when our team was returned to the Institute of War by our summoners, I ran. Shen and Akali, my Kinkou brother and sister, called out to me to turn back, but I just couldn't. I couldn't face them right now, not after what just happened. I just kept running; I needed to be alone. Soon I found myself outside of the Institute of War all together, climbing down the front steps until all that stood before me was a lonely road stretching as far as the eye could see and the dense forestry that surrounded the Institute. I decided to go into the woods, where at least I wouldn't be bothered for a few hours. I knew that eventually I would need to go back, that running wouldn't make this problem go away. Leaving for a little while would give me time to calm down and hopefully think of a way to face the world after my less than exemplary performance on the Fields of Justice.

It was hard to find my way through the woods when it was so dark out; the League match had taken most of the day, and the sun had just set a little while ago. I was careful to try and keep track of where I was going; I didn't want to get lost in the woods and have to spend a night there. I started making trail markers early on as I went, preparing for the eventuality that I would have to find my way back through the dark forest. I wasn't sure of how good of job I was doing of marking my tracks, but for now this was better than what was lying in store for me back at the Institute.

After walking for a little awhile it felt like I was going uphill. I kept on going, thinking if I could get to the crest of the hill I would eventually be able to look over these trees and find the Institute for when I wanted to go back. Continuing forward, I came a break in the dense tree cover up ahead. I ran to it, and soon I found myself at the edge of a small cliff overlooking the forest that stretched ever outwards in front of me. But it wasn't the forest below that got my attention, but the stars above. There was the most beautiful stretch of sky opened up in front of me, with what seemed liked thousands of stars twinkling against the darkness. It was as if heaven itself had revealed itself to me, and soon I found myself sitting down, back to the nearest tree, just staring up in awe. I don't know how long I was sitting there, it could have been seconds or it could have been minutes, but I was sent back into reality when I heard the sound of a bush rustling behind me.

I stood up, grabbed my shuriken, and brought it into the ready position. I wasn't about to let myself get ambushed; who knew what lived in this forest. Worse yet, I realized, it could have been one of Noxus' champions; they were just as free to roam the woods as I was. Just then a small figure emerged from the bush; it was Captain Teemo of the Bandle City Scouts. I lowered my guard; I didn't know Teemo, but he was definitely friendly, especially judging from his smile. I was relieved that I wasn't in any danger, but my relief was short lived when I knew my much needed alone time was cut short.

He came up to me and said in a chipper voice, "Hi! You're Kennen, right?"

"Yah" I replied drearily. I kept my answers short; I wasn't in a very social mood after what happened today.

"I see you found my spot. It sure is something, isn't it?" Teemo said back, cheery as ever.

"Mhm" I mumbled back in the same dejected tone, hoping he would get the message that I wanted to be alone.

"Mind if I joined you?" Teemo asked.

'Damn it!' I thought to myself, but I didn't want to ruin my relationship with Teemo right from the beginning. He was a friend to Ionia and a potential ally, so I answered, "Of course. I'm going to be here for a little while anyways."

I sat back down under the tree, and Teemo sat right down next to me, taking off his hat and putting it aside. Clearly he was trying to get comfortable. Great; I really didn't need this right now. Despite his intrusion I tried to pretend I was still alone, just so I could retain some semblance of sanity. With only the forest noises around me and the stars up ahead of me; it was simply a matter of mind over matter, nothing new to me after a lifetime of ninja training. After a few minutes I almost forgot he was there; my plan was working exceptionally well. That was, until Teemo decided to speak up.

"I saw your League match today." Teemo began, looking over at me.

'Can't I just get away from this for one second? Please! Just one second!' I screamed to myself in my head. Turning back at him, I replied to him in an annoyed voice, "Yah? What about it?"

"Everyone has a bad day every once in awhile. People learn from their mistakes and move on. You'll be a better person for it." Teemo responded, putting his hand on my shoulder and looking over at me with a smile.

"Damn it, I don't need to be patronized by you! I'm not some kid, you don't need to spout those platitudes at me!" I yelled at him angrily, pushing his hand away from my shoulder. I know he was trying to comfort me, but I was beyond caring. I didn't even want my friends around, why did he think he was welcome to be here with me?

After that we just kind of sat there for awhile, neither of us looking at or saying anything to each other. I couldn't even relax and enjoy the stars anymore, I was too focused on his intrusion into my few moments of peace before the storm at the Institute. An hour passed, maybe more, before either of us even acknowledged the others existence again. Eventually, it was Teemo who broke the silence.

"You know," he said, still looking up at the stars, "I know that no matter what happens, there will always be beauty in the world, right here. Whatever happens down here on Runeterra, the stars will always be up there, shining down on us for all to see. It's comforting, to know that no one and no thing can take that away." Sighing, Teemo then got up, looked down at me, and said, "I think you've made it pretty clear that you want to be left alone." Finished, he picked up his hat, put it on, and left.

Throughout his speech I just sat there, staring forwards, as if I didn't even notice he was still there, let alone saying anything. I didn't even say goodbye; I was just happy he was leaving. I tried to dismiss what he said, to get back to where I was when I first found the break in the trees. I just wanted things to start over, to have my alone time again. I couldn't escape him though; his words played themselves back in my head. Just when I would begin to forget they'd creep their way back in, and suddenly I'd be listening to his speech again in my mind. They seemed like a lot more than those kindergarten phrases he spouted at me before, I realized. After awhile they started to really sink in; he was right. It is comforting to know there's beauty in the world that no one could take away, not even Noxus.

I just stayed under the tree for awhile, looking up at the stars, contemplating what it was he said to me. I started to calm down, and after a little while I started to feel normal again. I screwed up earlier, but not as bad as I thought. Noxus might have won a victory, but they're a far cry from taking away all the beauty in the world, everything that I hold dear. Ionia will still be there, my brother and sister Shen and Akali from the Kinkou Order will still be there, all of it.

I...I was finally ready to go back to the Institute, to face my friends and the Ionian public. I got up, said one final goodbye to the stars, and started making my way back. Following the trail markers I made earlier, I soon made it to the gates of the Institute. I stood up straight, pushed open the doors, and made my way inside. Things were going to be alright.


	2. I Would Have Done it Again

**Author's Note:** **Here's chapter two, I'm really enjoying writing this story. Please take time to review the story, any review is greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!**

By this time it was pretty late at night, and the halls of the Institute of War were empty. I made my way through the dark hallways to the Ionian section of the Institute. This was a well worn path for me, and soon I found myself in the heart of the Ionian wing and front of the quarters for the Kinkou Order, my home away from home. I saw light seeping through the cracks in the doors; Shen and Akali were still up, waiting for me. Even though I've known them for almost my entire life, I didn't know what to expect. I've never failed them that badly before. What I did know was that if I had to face them, which I did, I would never feel more ready for it than how I felt then. Without any further hesitation I opened the door and went inside.

"Kennen, would you come here please?" I heard Shen call to me sternly the second I closed the door behing me. Both him and Akali were sitting on the sofa in the common room. I came over, and Shen gestured for me to sit in the chair across from him and Akali. I sat down in the massive chair; all of the furniture in the common room was too big for me. It was made for humans. It made me feel so small compared to both of them; I wondered if Shen did that we should talk here just for that purpose. I wasn't going to let that get to me though. I took off my hood and laid my shuriken on the table in front of me; I was still wearing my ninja garb from the match earlier today. With that out of the way, we were finally ready to begin – it looked like it was finally time for me to weather the storm.

"You didn't have to run Kennen," Akali began, always the caring one.

"I know," I replied. I decided to keep my answers short until I knew what it was they were really mad about.

"So where did you go then? You weren't anywhere in the Institute." Akali continued.

"Yah, I left to go out into the forest. I needed some alone time, after what happened." I answered.

"You went off into the forest alone? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was of you?" Shen interjected, chastising me.

"I'm not a little kid anymore. I can make my own decisions. I know how to defend myself; I was fine." I said back to him, raising my voice a little. Besides, I wasn't even alone, though they didn't need to know that yet. I never kept anything from them, they were like my family. For some reason though this felt like my little secret. I know Teemo and I just met, but it felt like he shared something really personal with me, something special. I didn't want anyone else to know, and strangely telling anyone felt like a betrayal of his trust.

"Your decisions effect the entire Kinkou Order, and if you got hurt it would have effected all of us. You know that Kennen!" Shen pointed out angrily, bringing me back into the real world.

"You know you can come to us too Kennen. We just want what's best for you." Akali added in.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!" I yelled in frustration, mostly at Akali. I've always been the small and young one out of the group, and I just couldn't stand it when people talked down to me like that. Especially when we were supposed to be peers.

"You know that isn't the issue here Kennen." Shen responded, bringing the focus back onto me. He continued, "What if something bad did happen to you Kennen, what then? How long would you have been laying out there in the forest, hurt? We would have had to go and find you, and then afterwords make sure you survived and recovered from whatever happened."

"I told you, I needed some time alone." I explained yet again. It was a weak defense, but, from everything he knew, he had a bulletproof argument.

"You know that that's not good enough Kennen. There are only three of us, and we can't waste time, resources, and especially one of our lives from selfish and thoughtless decisions like this. So you screwed up, everyone does, but that doesn't mean you can let your emotions run wild and make you stop thinking. Like Akali said, we're here for you. Be more careful in the future." Shen ordered.

"You're right." I replied, and he was. I wasn't sorry though; I found what I needed in the forest. I found more than what I needed, and I would have done the same thing again. They didn't need to know that though.

"Good." Shen said. "With that out of the way, I'm going to go to bed then. Goodnight." I watched him get up and start walking towards his chambers.

Akali was next, telling me, "If you want to talk, I'm right across the hall, alright?" before she too got up and went to bed as well.

I followed shortly after her, but instead of taking her up on her offer like I normally would, I walked into my room and started getting ready for bed; I wasn't ready to tell anyone exactly what happened just yet. I took a shower, got dressed in my sleeping clothes, snuffed the lanterns, and climbed into bed. I finally had my moment of peace, alone in the dark with only my thoughts for company.

All I could think about was what happened earlier when I was alone in the forest with Teemo. I never really talked with anyone outside of the Kinkou Order; having friends on the outside isn't forbidden, but it's discouraged. We're supposed to be ninjas, assassins. Any outside connections could be a liability, or lead to them getting hurt in order to get to us. Why would he open up to me like that then, and share something so intimate with me? Well, was that even intimate? It had to be, he said we were in his spot, and he let me stay. It really sounded like his words came from somewhere close to his heart. Then again, he can talk to whomever he wants and not have to worry about it. Maybe that's just how he's like, or how normal people talk. But he also saw I was hurt, and tried to comfort me. Is that a normal for strangers to do? What if this is just all in my head, and none of it means anything? But what if I'm wrong, and it does really mean something? I just didn't know.

What I did know, was that I needed to find out more. Was that even a good idea? I didn't know. Outside relationships are discouraged for a reason, they have to be. But maybe it was finally time to make a friend, expand my horizons. Would he even talk to me though, with the way I acted? Are strangers that forgiving? Is he going through the same kind of conversation in his head right now? No matter how much I concentrated, I just couldn't find any answers. All I could do was try to talk to him, I realized. I attempted to calm the storm going on inside my mind, but every time I tried to push these questions out of my head so I could sleep they returned, just as loud as before. Needless to say, it was a restless night for me. I had no idea what laid in store for me tomorrow; that almost never happens with my strict Kinko training routine and mission schedule. Tomorrow seemed exciting, but also scary. It looked like all I could do was wait and see what was in store for me, for my future.


	3. I Wish I Knew How to Talk to People

**Author's Note: I really like how this chapter turned out. Thanks for reading! As always, any reviews are appreciated.**

I got out of bed early the next day, partly because I couldn't sleep, but mostly because I wanted to leave before Shen and Akali woke up. If they saw me leaving they would ask where I was going, and there was no way that they would have approved of what I wanted to do. I didn't want to have to lie to them; I don't think I could have anyways. I got out of bed, dressed myself in my casual karate clothes as quickly as I could, then tiptoed out of my room. 'Good' I thought to myself as I looked around; no one else was awake yet. I snuck towards the exit and made my way outside, silently closing the door behind me.

Everything was going well so far; I made it outside without being noticed. That didn't mean I wasn't still nervous though. I still didn't know how to talk to people from the outside. Well, not in a friendly way at least. That didn't matter though, I told myself. Laying in bed last night I realized I didn't want the same life I've always had, closed off from the rest of the world. At least not forever. That's why I was determined to make a connection from the outside. Someone reached out to me last night in the forest, under the stars, and I wanted to reach back. This seemed like my chance.

I started heading to Bandle City's wing of the Institute; I was pretty sure he would be there. It only took me a little while to find. I looked around, and I noticed everything here was the right size; nothing was too big for me. It was pretty inviting. But I also saw only a couple of other yordles awake and walking around; It was still pretty early in the morning. That's when I noticed Poppy standing a short ways away; she was the only other champion I saw that was already up. I at least recognized her, so that was as good of place to start as any. I went up to her, but before I could say anything she said to me,

"Ah Kennen. I assume you're here on official business? What can I, as Ambassador of Bandle City, do for the Kinkou Order?"

"I'm actually here for something personal," I responded, "I was hoping you could tell me where Teemo is?"

"Something personal?" she replied, an air of suspicion in her voice. She must have known that I never came here for anything personal, and that I didn't have any yordle friends. "The Champions living quarters are over there, his name is over his door; he's probably still at home." she told me, pointing, "but I don't want you bothering anyone or making any trouble; I'll be keeping an eye on you. Alright?"

"Okay, I won't. Thanks!" I said to her, running off. I found Teemo's place pretty quickly; he had a name plate just on top of his door, just like Poppy said he would. I was about to knock on the door, but I stopped myself. 'What if he's still sleeping?' I asked myself. 'Besides, isn't it weird for someone who's pretty much a stranger to knock on another person's door, and say, "Hey, I was thinking a lot about last night. Let's be friends!" I wanted our conversation to be natural, for everything to go alright. I found a bench a few doors down from Teemo's quarters, sat down, and waited.

Eventually the other yordles started waking up. A few of them gave me odd stares when they saw me sitting there, but I didn't really care. It wasn't their opinions I was worried about. After a few more minutes of waiting A door opened up next to me, and I saw Tristana, another of Bandle City's league champions, walk outside into the hall. I watched her as she walked down the hall, but then my heart skipped a beat when I saw she stopped at Teemo's door. She knocked, and he answered. They started talking; I was too far away to hear what they were saying. I was tempted to get up right then and and join their conversation, to talk to him. But I couldn't. I wanted to talk to him alone; the one thing we really had together was private, at least to me. So I kept sitting there, waiting for her to leave. Except she didn't. The two of them started walking away together; they must have had something planned. I wasn't actually sure what to do, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet. I followed them.

I didn't want to make it obvious; I stayed a good distance away from them. It seemed like my ninja training would really pay off. I saw both of them go into the cafeteria, and I went in a little while afterward. They were having breakfast together. It looked like it might be awhile, and I realized I still haven't had breakfast. The food was for the yordles of Bandle City associated with the League, but the cafeteria workers were gracious enough to give me a meal. I thanked them, then found an empty table on the opposite side of the room from Teemo and Tristana. While I ate I kept an eye on them to make sure I'd be ready for when they were finished and went their separate ways.

A little while after I finished eating I saw Tristana get up from the table and start to put her tray away. 'This is my chance,' I thought to myself. I started to stand up, but that was when I noticed Teemo getting up as well to follow her. I was starting to get nervous; what if I never get a chance to talk to him alone? Would I be able to muster up the courage to come find him again another day? Those are the thoughts that went through my head as I saw both of them leave the room together. It was terrifying.

I wasn't ready to approach him yet either, not while they were still together. That didn't mean I was ready to give up by any means, however. I followed them outside and towards the training grounds. They were going to practice together; who knew how long that would take? I didn't care though. I would wait as long as it took, and wait I did. They left a few hours later, and started going back towards the cafeteria; it was lunch time again.

They were talking, laughing, and smiling at each other as they walked. I was happy for them, who wouldn't want to see other people have something together like that? But I was also jealous of them, I admitted to myself. They had the kind of friendship I wanted. I couldn't help but feel sad too though, because I didn't have anyone like that. I'm not sure that I ever had a close friendship like that. Sure, I had Shen and Akali, but it just wasn't the same. They were like family, and acted like my parents most of the time. That's why I had to do this; there was a need in me they just couldn't fulfill.

I saw them go back inside the cafeteria, and once again I went inside shortly after them. Not breaking precedent, I got myself another meal (not forgetting to thank the cafeteria workers of course!) and sat at a table far away from them, continuing my watch. It seemed like they would spend all day together, but I wasn't about to give up hope yet. I just couldn't.

That's when Teemo did something that surprised me. He looked up, stared straight at me, got up from his table, and then started coming towards me. He found me out. He is a Scout; I should have been more careful. It looked like I finally had my chance to talk to him though, even if it wouldn't be as I hoped. Needless to say, I was as nervous as I've ever been in my life. What would he think? After me stalking him all day, it couldn't have been good, especially not with that look on his face. Two big screw ups in two days. Great.

He sat down directly across from me; he was definitely angry. I couldn't blame him.

"Kennen, why have you been following me and Tristana all day?" he said to me accusingly.

" I wasn't. I was following you all day," I responded meekly.

"Me? Alright, why were you following me all day then?" he asked, sounding just as confused as angry this time.

"I wanted to talk to you alone, but you've been with Tristana all day. I was waiting for you guys to finish. I'm sorry if I scared you. I just didn't know what else to do." I answered sheepishly.

That made Teemo smile, and then he started laughing. What did that mean? Was he making fun of me? Jeese Kennen, could you have made this any worse for yourself? Well, after a little while, his laughter died down, and I was about to see how deep of a hole I've dug for myself.

"You're weird, you know that? If you wanted to talk to me, you could have just asked," Teemo said, this time in his friendly, chipper little voice. He was still smiling; I really liked his smile. It just made his face light up.

"Yah, I'm sorry. I don't really know how to talk to people," I agreed, feeling more than a little embarrassed.

"Well, what was it you wanted to talk to me about then?" he continued.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for the way I acted last night; I was really rude to you. I also wanted to tell you that what you said last night really resounded with me. It helped me feel a lot better about what happened the other day. I know I'm just a stranger to you, but it really meant a lot to me that you comforted me like that and shared what you did with me. What I'm trying to say is, thank you."

Well there it was, I just told him everything. I opened my soul to him, and it was up to him to see what he would do with it. It took him awhile to formulate his response. It was one of the longest moments of my life.

"Kennen," he started, care and feeling in his voice, "You know, I never told anyone about that before, how I feel about the stars. I was surprised to see you in my spot, but I was glad you found it; it was the place you needed to be. It also seemed like you needed a friend right then. If what keeps me going when I start feeling down could help someone else, I was glad to share it. I don't blame you for how you acted, anyone would have been upset after the day you had."

"Thanks Teemo," I choked, tears welling up in my eyes. All my emotions from the past couple days seemed to be coming out. I just couldn't help it. Teemo came to my side of the table, sat down next to me, and put his arm around me. I buried my face into his shoulder, weeping quietly. After a few minutes I started to calm down, and I looked up at him.

"You know, you didn't have to do that." I said to him, my voice still a little shaky.

"I know, but anything for a fellow yordle, alright? Now, why don't you come over and finish lunch with Tristana and I?" he replied cheerily.

"That'd be really nice." I responded, smiling now. He led me to their table, and I sat next to him, setting my tray down in front of me. I was happy then; I don't think things could have gone any better.


	4. My Surprise Visitor

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Any reviews you might make are of course appreciated.**

"Tristana, this is Kennen. Kennen, Tristana." Teemo began, introducing me and Tristana to each other.

"It's nice to meet you Kennen. I didn't know you and Teemo knew each other." Tristana said to me.

"We don't. Well, we didn't." I responded, smiling.

"Oh, I got a different impression when I saw the two of you together over there. Are you two alright?" Tristana asked.

"Definitely," Teemo replied, putting his hand on my shoulder and smiling at me. "There was just something between the two of us we had to clear up."

"Yah, Teemo is really kind; you're lucky to have him as a friend Tristana." I added in.

"That's for sure," Tristana agreed. "Now Teemo, back to what we we're talking about before. I'll get you next time for sure; most of that was just luck on your part anyways!"

"What do you mean just luck? Luck doesn't exist; there were just opportunities and I took them. You can't blame your mistakes on some strange outside force; I beat you fair and square!" Teemo jabbed right back at her.

"Wait, what happened?" I interjected; I didn't want to be left out of the conversation.

"Tristana and I fought a practice match against each other; she's just mad she lost." Teemo explained to me, giggling a little.

"What do you mean mad? If I'm mad then you're overconfident, which means I'll win next time!" Tristana argued back.

They kept on going like that for awhile. It was one of the most perplexing things I've ever seen. It sounded like they should have been arguing, but they were both smiling and laughing. I was completely engrossed in their conversation; I forgot all about my fear of being left out. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Teemo was the first one to notice what was going on, and a few minutes after their conversation resumed he turned to me.

"I'm sorry Kennen, we've been talking to each other as if you weren't even here. We should have been more considerate." Teemo said to me.

"It's alright. It was actually really interesting to me. Thanks for your concern though." I replied.

"That's good; I didn't want to offend you so early into our friendship." Teemo explained.

"Friendship?" I asked, hope in my voice. Was I just hearing what I wanted to hear? No, I couldn't be. He definitely said friendship.

"Of course, that's why you came here to talk to me, wasn't it?" Teemo responded. It seemed like he already knew the answer.

"Yah, it was." I said, smiling. It felt like we we're becoming friends, but it really made me feel good to hear it from him directly.

"You've never really talked to anyone except Shen and Akali, what made you change your mind Kennen?" Tristana inquired of me.

Her question hit me like a ton of bricks; I forgot all about the Kinkou Order. I was supposed to just come here, find Teemo, have our moment, and then leave. Shen and Akali were probably wondering where I was, and I would have to explain it to them. This was not good!

"I'm sorry, I have to go." I responded quickly, a little nervousness creeping into my voice.

"Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to offend you!" Tristana said to me a little frantically.

"Yah, is everything alright Kennen?" Teemo added in.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," I responded as I got up from the table, "I was just supposed to back a long time ago. I'm sorry, it's just that I can't stay." I continued as I ran off.

'We'll get together later, alright Kennen?" Teemo called out to me as I sped away.

"For sure!" I yelled back just before I left the cafeteria.

'How am I going to explain this to Shen and Akali?' I thought to myself. There was no way they would approve of what I was doing. For a brief moment I thought of lying to them, but no, that would have been wrong. Besides, I knew I was a terrible liar. If I never got any practice, how could I be anything except bad? I'd have to tell the truth, and hope that they'd understand. They might have been my ninja peers, but they were also my family. Maybe that would be enough.

After a short while I made it back to our Order's home at the Institute. As I came inside I didn't see anyone in the common room. That was good, maybe I could avoid this conversation, at least for now. Besides, we're all supposed to be equals, I don't have to report to them my every little move, right? Well, that's what I told myself at least. I knew for sure that if I if I didn't get back into my training routine for today I would without a doubt get put under scrutiny, so I went into my room and started to get dressed into my ninja suit.

Just as I finished getting dressed I heard a knock on the door; it was Akali's knock – we've lived together for so long that I just knew. She must have been in her room and heard me get back.

"Come in!" I yelled to her through the door, not knowing exactly what to expect from her.

"Hey Kennen," she said to me as she came inside, "What are you up to?"

"I was just about to go to the training grounds." I replied.

That's when she crouched down in front of me, coming down to my eye level, and started to tell me in a caring voice. "I heard you sneak out this morning, and you weren't around for our debriefing after the last match. After what happened last night, and now this morning; are you alright? I hope you haven't lost sight of what important."

"I'm better than alright, and I promise that I haven't. You don't have to worry about me." I replied confidently. Everything I said was true too, even if "important" didn't exactly mean the same thing to both of us anymore. I was still just as committed to Ionia and the Kinkou Order, don't get me wrong, I just started thinking about my happiness too. Is that so wrong? Everyone deserves to be happy, right?

"That's good Kennen; don't let yourself neglect your duties okay? She continued, "If you want to tell me what's going on, you know that I'm always here to lend an ear. I trust you to do the right thing. Now, I'll see you on the training grounds in a little while, okay?" Akali told me.

"Thanks. I'll keep in mind what you said, and I'd never think of shirking on my duties." I reassured her. I was glad she didn't press me for exactly what I was doing; that was more of something Shen would do. I wish I could tell her exactly what was going on; she was always the person who I would come and open up to. It felt a little like I was betraying her, but she wouldn't understand. So I ended the conversation there, said goodbye, and left to the training grounds.

The rest of the day went pretty uneventfully. I finished my training, had dinner, and then had a long conversation with Shen and Akali about yesterday's match. It was the debriefing Akali was talking about; they rescheduled. It was pretty uncomfortable; we talked about each others mistakes, really mostly just my mistakes, and how we could improve in the future. When that was over, it was already time to go to bed. I slept soundly that night; I was a little worried about how suddenly I had to leave Teemo and Trisana's company, but I was sure they, and more importantly he, would understand. He's been patient with me so far. We would spend time together again, and actually have time to be friends. I would make sure of it.

I woke up the next morning to a knocking sound outside of my room; someone was at the front door to our Order's little dormitory. I rubbed my eyes, got out from under my covers, and went to answer the door. I was a little annoyed that I had to get up like that, but all of my bad feelings went away when I saw who was at the door.

"What are you doing here so early Teemo?" I asked him, a little excitement creeping it's way into my sleepy voice.

"What do you mean early? It's passed breakfast time. Get dressed," he told me, "It's a sunny day, and there's a lake a little ways into the forest. A few of the other yordles and I decided to go swimming this morning. You're coming too, alright?" Teemo said, inviting me.

"Of course, I'd love to come!" I told him excitedly, but then I remembered Shen and Akali. "But I don't know if I can. I have things I have to do here. But I really don't want to miss this, so...I'll just make time. I'll be right back, okay? You can wait for me inside in the meantime," I finished, hurrying off to get ready. I threw on swimming clothes, grabbed a snack, and wrote a note to Shen and Akali telling them I wasn't going to be there this morning but that I would join them for afternoon training.

"Alright, I'm ready to go." I said, rejoining him.

"Great. The lake is about an hour away, it's kind of a long walk. Is that alright?" he asked me.

"Of course. It will give me time to eat on the way, since I apparently missed breakfast. So where do we meet everyone else?" I inquired.

"They left awhile ago; they were a bit impatient. We'll meet them there." he explained.

"That sounds great," I responded happily. I was actually really glad that everyone left before us; an hour alone with my new friend seemed like all I could ever want for now. You couldn't really have personal conversation with someone when you're with large groups.

It was odd to me that I felt the way I did towards him already; we only just met a couple days ago. He just seemed so kind, fun, and especially caring. Then again, maybe I was putting all my hopes for a life outside the Kinkou Order onto him, projecting onto him something that I wanted him to be. I tried to push that thought out of my head. I really did like him, I told myself. He's been nothing but kind to me, and forgiving of my mistakes. He wanted to include me too; he went out of his way to invite me on this trip. All of this was going through my head we made our way out of the Institute of War and towards the forest edge. It to me awhile to realize what was I doing. We were together, but I was lost in my own little world. I haven't said or word to him, or even really payed any attention to him at all since we started walking together.

So I looked over at Teemo, and smiled at him. He smiled back at me.

"Everything alright Kennen?" he asked me.

"Mhm, I was just lost in my own thoughts for awhile. Sorry." I replied, a little embarrassed.

"That's alright. It looked like you were. What's on your mind?" he asked me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Just...you, all of this. It's so new to me Teemo. You've had plenty of friends before in your life; I haven't. I'm nervous; what if this doesn't work out? I don't want to be so alone anymore Teemo," I said, opening up to him. I felt like I had to be completely honest with him, that if we were really meant to be anything more than acquaintances that I would have to.

"Oh Kennen. You don't have to worry so much," he explained to me. "Just try and enjoy the moment, enjoy life. You'll never be happy if you spend all your time worrying. Besides, you'll make friends, now that you're looking. You already have me, and I like you. You're weird sometimes, but that's okay, because you're also genuine. Does all of that make any sense to you?"

"Yah, it really does. Thanks Teemo. Thanks for being so patient with me." I replied.

"Of course, that's what friends are for, right? Now, how about we get to the lake before it gets too late, huh?" Teemo asked.

"That sounds great, " I responded. We took the first steps into the forest together, the first of many. I was looking forward to the rest of today, to our time together. It was refreshing, new, and he would be there to guide me. It was exactly what I was looking for.


	5. My New Found Courage

**Author's Note: I feel like I'm really getting into the swing of writing this; there will be more to come later for sure. I should be able to get to the romance pretty soon. Once again, thanks again for reading! As always, any review you make will be appreciated. **

"So Kennen, you never got to answer Tristana's question from yesterday. What changed your mind; why did you decide to start talking to people all of the sudden?" Teemo began as we started our little trek together. It seemed like he wanted to take full advantage of our alone time; to use it so we could get to know each other better. I was definitely okay with that.

"Isn't that obvious?" I asked him. "It was you Teemo. The way you reached out to me that night, it made me realize how much I was missing out on life. How much I needed a friend, something else besides my life in the the Kinkou Order. I mean, even though we've only been friends for a short time, I already feel a lot happier."

"I'm glad I could do that for you Kennen." Teemo responded, smiling at me. I loved it when he smiled at me, it just made me feel all warm inside.

"Yah, I am too." I agreed, smiling right back at him. "So, who's idea was it to go on this trip?" I aked.

"Mine. I found the lake a couple weeks ago, and it seemed like the time to go." he explained to me.

"I had a feeling it was your idea." I said to him, "But it's weird everyone left without you though, considering it was your idea."

"Not exactly, not everyone had all day so they needed to leave early. I couldn't have left without you though, but you decided to sleep in!" Teemo told me.

"Thanks, I'm glad you didn't. But wait...how could you have known I was sleeping in? You just showed up late!" I asked him, a little confused.

"No, I came by early in the morning to come get you. Akali told me that after the past couple days you've had, she convinced Shen to let you sleep in. She also told me that if I needed to talk to you I should come around later, so I did." Teemo elaborated.

"Uh oh." I said nervously, "Did you tell them why you came to to get me? Or what about us being friends? It's important Teemo."

"No, she didn't ask. Why? What's wrong?" Teemo questioned me, concerned.

"It's just...well...I...jeese. I'm just not exactly supposed to have friends, alright?" I confessed to him, worried about what he would do. I didn't want this to be the end; it was barely the beginning.

"What do you mean?" Teemo asked me, sounding concerned and bewildered at the same time.

"Well, in my Order they discourage outside relationships; they say they're a liability. But that doesn't mean they're banned either. I just don't want Shen and Akali finding out so about us right now. I'm afraid of what they might do. Don't worry, I'll tell them soon though. I just want it to be on my own terms. Is that okay? I really don't want to lose you as a friend Teemo." I explained to him.

"I don't want to lose you as a friend either Kennen." He responded. "I trust you'll handle it; you know them better than I ever can. Just let me know if anything new happens, alright? I don't want you to get into too much trouble over me."

"I hopefully won't get into too much trouble, and I'll definitely keep you updated. Thanks for not making a big deal out of this; I'm sure it will work out." I told him. I actually wasn't too sure about that last part, but I was determined to make this work. That would have to be enough.

With the serious part of our walk over, we just started having fun. He made up for my lack of social skills; he really knew how to keep the conversation going. I couldn't believe how much he knew about the forest; he pointed out all of the animals we saw and told me about all about them. What they were, how they lived, what they ate. Everything. I guess knowing that kind of stuff just came with being a Scout. Later on he started telling me about Bandle City, and I asked him about the all things I still remembered about it. It seemed like most of the stuff from my childhood was still there; it made me really nostalgic. He was really fun to talk to. Before I knew it we were at the lake; our hour together passed by so fast.

Everyone was already at the lake; it seemed like Teemo invited every one of Bandle City's champions. That meant pretty much every notable yordle at the Institute, excepting Veigar and Amumu of course. Teemo went around and introduced me to everyone. I was still pretty shy though, so I stayed with Teemo the entire time. He made sure to spend at least a little time with everyone, and I, of course, was in tow. Maybe he did that to be a good host, or just to let everyone get to know me. Probably both.

We swam, ate, played water games, and even tried doing hide and seek for awhile. Of course Teemo was almost impossibly good at that last one. It was the most fun I've had in a really long time. That's why I was surprised when Teemo told me we had to leave. The day went by so quickly.

"Kennen, we have to get going back to the Institute." he told me.

"What, why? It can't be over already, can it?" I asked, disappointment creeping its way into my voice.

"It is Kennen. The sun's going to go down soon, and I don't want us to be caught this deep in the forest when it gets dark. We'll have fun another time, don't worry." he explained to me.

"It's not that Teemo. I mean, is it really that late? I told Shen and Akali I would be back for practice in the evening!" I told him, freaking out a little.

"That's not good." Teemo conceded.

"That might be a bit of an understatement. They've been letting me slide the past few days. I doubt they will this time. " I said to him a little dejectedly.

"Well, maybe you'll get lucky again." He told me optimistically.

"No, I won't. They'll always look the other way for a little while, but if I don't straighten out pretty quickly things get serious. It's like Shen just holds in his anger for a few days, then just lets it all loose. That's just how he works." I explained.

"I'm sorry Kennen. I guess that's even more of a reason we get back to the Institute pretty fast then. C'mon." he said to me, leading me back into the forest.

We didn't really get a chance to talk on the way back; we couldn't really, not with the way we were hurrying. We made good time, however, and in about forty minutes we were back at the Institute and standing outside of the Kinkou Order's front door.

"Thanks for showing me such a good time today Teemo. I'll see you later, alright?" I told him, dreading what was waiting for me through that door.

"Of course. Are you going to be alright Kennen?" he asked me, care in his voice.

"Don't worry about me, I won't let them beat me up too badly." I responded, laughing nervously a little.

"Alright," Teemo said, smiling a little, "Just let me know what happens, okay?"

"For sure. Bye Teemo." I told him.

"Bye Kennen." he replied, giving me a hug before he left. That hug had me feeling a lot better, but a little more importantly, it made me even more determined to not lose what we had together in the coming battle. I took a deep breath, puffed up my chest a little, then went inside. If this was going to be the price of not being alone anymore, then so be it.

Shen was already in the common room, it looked like he might have been waiting for me.

"Good, your back," he said to me, "Why don't you come and sit over here?" he said, gesturing towards the same oversized chair from last time. I acquiesced; did I have a choice? This time was different though, it made me feel angry. How come we always had to talk here, where the furniture was so grossly huge for me? Why did he have to try and make me look so small? I was so tried of playing these mind games, with him trying to get every unfair advantage over me whenever he thought I was doing something wrong. I couldn't focus on that though; it was a battle for another day.

While that was going through my mind, Akali came out of her room and joined Shen on the couch; she must have heard me come in.

"We both know why we're here Kennen." Shen began.

"I know why you think we're here." I replied a little angrily; he hadn't accused me of anything yet, but just the thought that he might try and force me back into my old life made me want to fight him. I wasn't going to let myself get intimidated by him.

"No one has to be angry Kennen. We just want to figure out what's going on with you so that we can work out what's best for the group, alright?" Akali told me.

"No Akali,I want to hear what Kennen had to say. Why do I think we're here Kennen? Shen interjected.

"You're worried about me missing practice, and not knowing exactly where I've been all the time." I explained to him. "I'll be better, alright?" Where was he going with this?

"That's right Kennen. You also said you'd do better that last time, but you didn't. I think I've been more than nice by letting things slide the past few days."

"It's not exactly being nice if you just plan to bring it up later and hold it over my head!" I interrupted.

"Kennen, you don't have to be defensive, we're just trying to help." Akalai said to me. Why did she always have to be on his side?

"I think I sense that there's something more going on here, Akali," Shen stated, "So, what exactly were you up to today, that makes you want to act this way? Does it have something to do with why Teemo was here this morning?"

"We were just having a good time, that's all." I replied quickly.

"We?" Shen interjected. Uh oh. I should have been more careful with my words.

"Yes, Teemo and I. He invited me to go to the lake with him, and I accepted. We're friends." I told them, trying to sound confident. There it was: our friendship - my new found life outside of the order, out in the open

"Friends?" Shen said, sounding perplexed and angry at the same time. "You know how we feel about that Kennen, how dangerous that is! What would posses you to do something so irresponsible?"

"Well, it's because...because I..." I started, stammering a bit. "Because I'm not happy, okay! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"What do you mean not happy?" Akali asked me, sounding a little concerned.

"I've spent my whole life here, and it's just been the same thing every day: training and fighting, fighting and training. I can't keep going like that on forever. I need some time for myself - to relax, have fun. Is that so much to ask?" I told them.

"You made your commitment to the Kinkou Order a long time ago Kennen, just like all of us. Sacrifices had to me made." Shen explained to me cold-heartedly.

"And I made that commitment when? When I was five? I can't rethink a life decision made by a child? I'm just as committed to Ionia and the Order as before; I just need something else in my life too!" I yelled at him.

"Kennen, I know you're angry right now, but you have to end this. We can't afford to have any weak links, not with what's at stake. All of Ionia depends on us." Shen ordered. Was that an ultimatum he gave me? I hoped not. If anything, it scared me; it almost sounded as if he took pleasure in crushing my dreams.

"Shen, maybe that's not the best idea." Akali said, interjecting on my behalf, "Kennen said he's not happy with the way things are. If that's true, and if he really is emotionally distressed, then his performance will suffer anyways. His mind will be on how he feels, and he wont be as motivated to do as well. He won't to train or fight to the best of his ability. If his friendships get too intrusive or detrimental, we'll rethink them later. For now, I think letting him pursue his wishes is the best thing we can do for the Kinkou Order." She really knew how to talk to Shen, to speak his language. I suppose I still had her on my side. That made me glad, that it didn't have to be me against them anymore.

"Kennen, I see some truth in Akali's words," Shen explained to me, "So I'll let this go on for now, but if this causes you to slack in your duties even an inch, I want you to be prepared to end this immediately. Is that agreed?"

"Yes, I agree. Thank you so much!" I said happily, getting up to give Akali a hug. At that point I was willing to agree to anything to keep Teemo in my life.

"We'll work out a schedule later so you can make time for this pursuit of yours Kennen. For now you're dismissed." Shen told me, getting up shortly after he finished speaking to go to his room.

I looked up at Akali, still in her embrace. "Thank you, I don't know what I would have done if you didn't help me out back there." I said to her, eternally grateful.

"I just wanted to do what was best for the Kinkou Order, and I'm glad it turned out to be what was best for you too." she elaborated, letting me go as I hopped back onto the floor.

"I'm going to go see Teemo and let him know things worked out. I'll see you in the morning Akali!" I told her as I ran out the door and off towards Bandle City's wing of the Institute. I found Teemo's quarters right away, I knew where they were now, and knocked on his door. I couldn't wait to tell him the good news.


	6. In the Dark, Alone

**Thanks again for reading! I'm finally starting to get to write the romance, sort of. As always, any review you make is appreciated!**

I heard Teemo walk up to the door, opening it shortly afterward.

"Good news Kennen?" He asked me. He must have seen me smiling.

"Yah, things went better than I could have ever expected. It's just, well..." I couldn't hold back my excitement any longer; I brought him into a hug.

"Kennen!" he said, taken a little aback. He seemed surprised by what I was doing, so I let go right away. I must have been a little too forward.

"I don't know what came over me, I was just kind of, well, emotional." I apologized, feeling embarrassed.

"So what happened?" Teemo questioned me. He seemed to have gotten over my little misstep rather quickly.

"I was right about Shen being angry with me. He forbid me from having friends, from seeing you again. But then Akali interceded on my behalf, and convinced him that that wasn't a good idea. So...here I am!" I explained to him cheerily.

"That's great Kennen' I'm glad someone was on your side. Anyways, I'm not doing anything tonight. Did you want to watch today's League match with me? Bandle City has it's own arcane receiver here at the Institute." Teemo asked me.

"That sounds great." I replied, smiling.

"Why don't you step out of the doorway so I can get outside with you then?" he asked me, laughing a little. He was so cute when he giggled like that.

"Sorry!" I responded after stepping out of his way, laughing with him.

We went off to the viewing room and started to watch a rerun of the match earlier today. It was a fight between Bildgewater and Noxus. The battle was only over a tiny dispute and didn't involve either Bandle City or one of its allies, so we were the only ones the in the room. That gave us the freedom to do whatever we wanted, so we didn't focus all that much on the match. Instead we mostly talked or told jokes. I didn't know many but Teemo sure did, and he taught me some. I really had a lot of fun. It was the perfect way to way to air out all that stress from earlier today with Shen and Akali,

When the replay came to an end we said goodbye and went our separate ways. By the time I made it back to the Order Shen and Akali had already gone to sleep for the night, and I thought I should do the same. I went through my routine of, showering, brushing my teeth, and getting into my night clothes, then finally climbed under the covers. I went to bed happy that night; my life seemed so much brighter than it had just a few days ago. I was excited for the future.

Shen woke me up earlier than normal in the morning; he wanted to talk about setting up a schedule for when I could see my friends without losing any of today's training time. He gave me a lot of freedom: I could choose any two days off during the week as long as I gave him advance notice. Of course, he also had to remind me about five times that if I let any of my duties slip that all of this would be over real quickly. I wasn't going to let that bother me though, no matter what it was a victory for me.

Over the next month I got into a routine. Every few days I'd meet with Teemo and set up some time to spend with him. I was busier than he was, so he was the activity planner. Sometimes we would do something alone, and other times with a group of different yordles, but no matter what it was a lot of fun. The time we spent together was a great interruption from my training and League matches; we never wasted a day. He was really kind to go through all that effort just to maintain our friendship. I always let him know how grateful I was.

Our friendship really strengthened throughout this time. It was still new territory for me though. I started to get this strange fluttering feeling in my stomach whenever he smiled at me, and he just seemed so cute whenever he giggled, so I always tried to make him laugh. As we got to know each other better though, I started to feel a little empty whenever he wasn't around. It was like he came into my life every few days to brighten it up, and then everything went dark again when he left. I didn't know if I was supposed to feel the way I did. Was that how friendships worked, or was something else was going on here? I really needed to figure out what these feelings meant.

On one of my training days that empty feeling really started to get to me. Instead of returning to the Order after eating dinner I decided to sneak off into the forest. I left the Institute of War, ran down the steps, and walked into the woods. I wanted to find Teemo's spot under the stars again. I remembered him telling me a long time ago that he goes to that spot whenever he felt troubled; that it comforted him. I also remembered how much it helped me the first time, though that could have just been because Teemo was there. Either way the place seemed special, and maybe it would help me feel closer to Teemo while I sorted through my emotions.

The marks I left on the trees were still there from the first time I found the please, and pretty soon I saw the tree line break and the stars open up in front me. The spot, his spot, was in sight, and I walked towards it. I was startled when I heard a voice call out to me through the darkness.

"Who's there?" It asked cautiously yet firmly. It was Teemo.

"It's me, Kennen!" I called back, running towards the cliff's edge and into the moonlight. I saw Teemo sitting down with his back towards the same tree from the first time we met. He was looking up at me, and gestured for me to sit next to him. I happily obliged, and when I finished getting comfortable he turned his attention away from me and back to the stars. I decided to join him, and we just sat there for awhile, gazing up at the heavens together. It really was beautiful, I could see how this comforted him. Then again, I could always see that.

"What are you doing here Kennen?" He asked me eventually, looking over at me.

"I just came here to think about a few things, to try and sort through some emotions." I said to him.

"Me too." he told me.

"Have you made any progress?" I questioned him, concerned for my friend.

"I don't know. Maybe it would help if I told you about it. I mean, we are good friends right?' Teemo asked me.

"Of course," I replied.

"It's just I like Tristana, Kennen. I've known I've liked her for a long time. I've never had the courage to tell her though. Life doesn't last forever, and who knows what the future holds. That's why I came her tonight, to try and find the courage to tell her my true feelings." He confessed to me.

"How do you know you feel that way about her?" I asked, curious.

"Well, I get these butterflies in my stomach when I'm around her. I have a really good time when we're together, and I love to see her smile. I feel like we have a connection." he explained to me. That really surprised me; those were the exact same feelings I've had for Teemo. Does that mean I liked him? That would explain a lot, but then again, we're both men. Could that even work? Of course it could I told myself immediately; love is love right? But could it work between us? I mean, if he feels that way for her, did I even have a chance? Could he feel that way about another guy? I didn't know, but if I did nothing, I knew I would never have a chance to find out. I didn't have a lot of time either, and I couldn't live with the regret of having said nothing.

"Teemo," I began nervously. "I...I've felt those same things about you for awhile now. I just didn't know what those feelings meant until now, until you explained them to me. Those feelings are actually why I came here tonight. I..I like you Teemo. I really do, I like you a lot."

"Oh Kennen, I just, well. I really don't...I...oh jeese. I can't really...well, I just have to go, okay?" he told me, struggling through his words. He got up and left quickly, and pretty soon I was left in the dark again, alone.

'At least he sounded really sorry.' I thought to myself. I sat there for awhile, not really sure what to do. I felt like I should cry, but the full magnitude of what just happened hadn't hit me yet. The tears just wouldn't come; I was sure they would make their appearance later. Eventually I got up and started making my way back to the Institute, back to the Order.

'Jeese Kennen, aren't you a piece of work? Your first friendship AND first crush out the door in one night. It would be comical, if it wasn't so tragic.' I thought to myself as I made it back to the Order and crawled into my bed. It looked like the tears finally came too.


	7. I Didn't Have to Look Very Far

**Author's Note: Yay! I finally got to the romance! It was a little hard for me to write, like I expected, but I'm glad I'm doing it. I wanted this to be part of Chapter 6, but I've had some time constraints the past few days. I suppose that made Chapter 6 a good cliff hanger though, haha. Thanks again for reading, I hope you're getting as much enjoyment out of it as I am. Any review you make is, of course, appreciated.**

When I woke up the next morning my eyes felt sore and my pillow was damp; I must have cried myself to sleep last night. 'Hopefully keeping myself busy will keep my mind off of what happened the last night.' I thought to myself. I didn't know which I would end up regretting more, telling him my true feelings or losing him because I did so. Well, there wasn't anything I could do about it now, so I dragged myself out of bed and started getting ready for the day of hard work and training that laid ahead of me.

When I finished my morning routine I left my room to have breakfast with Shen and Akali. Akali must have noticed me acting strangely, because midway through the meal she asked me,

"Kennen, are you alright? You've barely touched your food, and it's not like you to hang your head down like that."

"Yah, I'm doing great actually." I lied, trying to sound confident. I didn't want Shen to know what happened, at least not yet. Maybe I could fix things by then. If he did find out, it would be an affirmation of everything he believed, and I wasn't ready to go back to my old life yet. I wasn't sure if I would ever would be.

"Good, I'm glad." she said, skepticism in her voice.

As soon as we finished eating breakfast we went immediately to the training grounds. Things went well at first, but every time I would start getting into my groove I would be reminded of my feelings; it started to really effect my performance in our sparring or practice matches. I was really glad Ionia didn't have any league battles planned for today. Shen wasn't about to let me get off easily though, and he really started to harp on me over my mistakes,

"We should be getting better over time, not worse." He told me harshly.

It wasn't Shen I was worried about though; it was my little scout, my best friend, my heart's desire that had that honor. That's why when we took a break for lunch I ran off ahead of Shen and Akali, towards Bandle City's wing of the Institute. I needed to find him, to set things right; lunch could wait. I just couldn't stand another minute of not knowing the future, of not knowing whether or not I lost him forever.

I made my way to his room as quickly as I could and knocked on his door. I waited for awhile, and he didn't answer, so I knocked again. Once again, there was no answer. I went to the cafeteria next, but after a quick survey I found he wasn't there either. The only other place I could think he would be was Bandle City's training grounds, so I decided to look there. Only I didn't see him anywhere in the practice area, and neither had anyone else I asked. By the time I finished searching there lunch has ended, so I made my way back towards Ionia's wing to resume my work with Shen and Akali.

The rest of the day's training seemed to stretch on forever, and I was glad when I was finally back in the Kinkou Order's dormitories. I knew it was short notice, but I decided to ask Shen if he would let me take tomorrow off so that I could look for Teemo. Of course, I didn't tell him that was the reason though. I just needed to find him and resolve this so I could hopefully return to some sense of normalcy. To my relief he said yes; that was at least a little weight off of my shoulders. I didn't know if he said yes because he could tell something was the matter just like Akali could, or just because nothing special was going on tomorrow. Probably the latter.

After talking to Shen I decided to eat some dinner. It was strange, because even though I didn't have any lunch I didn't feel hungry. My stomach felt like it was in knots because of how I felt over potentially losing Teemo. I ended up needing to force my food down. Until yesterday I didn't even know someone could make someone else feel this way. It made me feel even more determined to put this right tomorrow. I just couldn't stand feeling this way for another minute.

That night I just couldn't get to sleep, and it ended up being one of the longest nights of my life. I just laid there in bed, tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. It felt like all of my fears about my future were attacking me, as if my entire future hung in the balance on what was going to happen between me and him tomorrow. In a lot of ways it did. I mean, with Shen being who he is, who's to say I would even have a friend ever again if tomorrow didn't work out? I wanted things to go back to the way there were, when our friendship was new and I felt happy. At this point Teemo and I might not even be friends though, I knew, and I gave up hope that we would ever be lovers. Tomorrow just couldn't come fast enough, these emotions were almost too much to bare.

I woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. I was surprised I even managed to get any sleep, so I guess I could have considered myself lucky. Of course I didn't feel that way though. I forced myself out of bed, and went through my morning routine to get ready for the day. When that was finished I forced myself to eat some breakfast, then started to leave our Order's quarters to begin the hunt for my best friend. I opened the door, and immediately learned my search would be cut short. Standing at the door was none other than Teemo.

"Teemo! I said surprised. 'What are you doing, just standing out here?"

"I actually came here to talk to you; I was just working up the courage to knock on the door." he explained to me, sounding a little ashamed.

"I was actually just about to leave to find you. We can talk in my room; why don't you come inside? I asked him. My bedroom was the only place where we could hope to get any privacy, I knew, unless we wanted to take a long and awkward walk back to where Teemo stayed.

"Yah, I'd like that." He told me. We both went inside, and I led him into my bedroom. I sat down onto my bed, and gestured for him to sit next to me. He did.

Looking into my eyes, Teemo began, "Kennen, I'm really sorry about the other night. I shouldn't have left you alone in the dark like that, especially after what you told me. I was just surprised when you told me how you felt, and I didn't know what else to do. I can only imagine how that made you feel. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you, and thank you for apologizing." I replied to him, looking back into his eyes. "That really hurt me Teemo. You're my only friend, and I was afraid I lost you. I know you don't feel the same way towards me as I do about you, but that's okay. I want you to be happy with Tristana. I support your decision, and I don't want to stand in your way. I'm just hoping we can stay friends. Okay?"

"Kennen, thank you, but I wasn't finished." Teemo said to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I've never thought about you in that way before, but since you've told me how you feel, it really brought up some emotions in me that I didn't know I had. I looked back on all the time we've spent together, and I started seeing how it could work. How us could work. What I'm trying to say is, I want to give us a shot. I want to be together with you Kennen."

"Do you really mean that Teemo?" I asked, hope entering my voice. I wasn't just hearing what I wanted to hear, was I?

"Of course I do Kennen." he responded, moving over closer to me and putting his arm across my shoulders.

I reciprocated, bringing my arm around his waist and laying my head onto his shoulder. We just sat there for awhile next to each other like that, neither of us saying a word. It seemed too good to be true. After the other night, this couldn't be happening, right? I had to find out for sure if it really was.

I lifted my head, looking up at him, and asked, "What about Tristana, Teemo? This is really what you want?"

"Yes Kennen, this is what I want. I wouldn't have told you if it wasn't." he began, "I actually went to see Tristana yesterday. I told her how I felt about you, and then about how I felt about her. I really didn't know what to do, and I felt like the only way to make the right decision was to be honest with both of you. She told me if I felt that way about you, I should act on those feelings. I guess she doesn't feel the same way as I do about her. But I'm not sad though, because I have you." he finished, smiling at me.

"Teemo, as much as I like you, I don't want us to be together just because you couldn't be with Tristana." I said to him honestly yet sadly, taking my arm from around him and ending our little moment of closeness.

"Please don't take it that way Kennen," Teemo started, bringing his hand to my face and caressing my cheek, "I told you I wanted to be with you, and now that we're here and we're together, I wouldn't have it any other way. I would by lying if I said I didn't still have those feelings for Tristana, but I would never let them jeopardize what we might have between us or our future. I'm asking you to trust me Kennen."

"Of course I'll trust you Teemo." I replied, bringing my arm back around him and burying my head into his furry shoulder, "and thank you."


	8. Speechless

**Author's Note: it took me a little while to get into the groove of writing this, but I'm happy with how it turned out. As always, thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review!**

"Hey Kennen?" Teemo asked, the two of us still sitting closely together in my quarters, "do you have to go to training today?"

"No, why do you ask?" I questioned him as I looked up to meet his gaze.

"I was thinking, now that we're together, we should do something just us - something romantic." he told me.

"Romantic? I inquired, a little excitement creeping its way into my voice.

"Yah, like go out on a date." he responded, smiling at me.

"Are you asking me out Teemo?" I asked him cheekily; I already knew the answer.

"It looks like I am, doesn't it?" he replied, giggling. I squeezed him a little; I still couldn't believe my luck. Just a little while ago I was afraid I lost him forever, and now, this.

"What did you have in mind?" I continued; I was excited to hear what he had planned.

"Do you remember weeks ago when we went to the lake together, with everyone else?" he questioned me.

"Of course, that was the first time we've ever done anything as friends. What about it?" I responded.

"I was thinking we could go back, but just us this time. We would bring a picnic. I think it would be a lot of fun, and, of course, romantic." he told me, looking into my eyes.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," I said to him. "I just have to get ready, alright?"

"Me too," he responded, "All you have to do is get dressed; I'll take care of everything else. How about we meet up in front of the Institute in half an hour?"

"That sounds great, I'll be waiting for you," I replied, getting up with him to walk him to the door.

We said our goodbyes outside in the hall, giving each other a hug. I didn't try and kiss him, not yet. He only just discovered he had these feelings for me, and I didn't want to try and push anything. I only wanted to go as far as he felt comfortable with. We could do that stuff in time I told myself; he would let me know when he was ready.

I started getting ready right away; I changed into my swimming clothes, ate breakfast, then found a towel. By the time all of that was finished I still had ten minutes left to wait, so I decided to leave early. I didn't forget to leave a note tellling Shen and Akali where I was going of course. I left the Order's dormitories, exited the Institute, and started waiting for Teemo at the bottom of the Institute's steps.

A few minutes later I saw Teemo coming down the steps to meet me, picnic basket, towel and blanket in hand. When he made it down to me I took the basket from his hands to lighten his load, telling him,

"You know, I should take you somewhere once. It's sweet of you, but you shouldn't have to put in the effort all the time." I liked that I could use words like "sweet" with him now, because that's exactly what it was.

"There will be time for that later Kennen, but I appreciate the thought. Let's just enjoy the day, alright?" he responded. "Now, why don't we get going?"

"Let's," I replied. He held out his free hand for me, and I took hold of it. That really made me smile widely.

We held hands the entire way to the lake; it made me feel wonderful inside that he wanted to do that with me. From the looks he gave gave me, I could tell I wasn't the only one enjoying it either. After our long walk along together, we finally made it to the lake. It turned out to be a beautiful day; the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and the water looked crystal clear. Already going here looked like it was turning out to be a great idea.

"Hey Teemo, it's already getting pretty hot out; why don't we set our stuff down and go in the water?" I asked him

"That sounds like a great idea." he replied, letting go of my hand to lay out his towel and put everything down. I put my stuff down next to his, and the next moment we were in the water.

I wasn't sure what we were supposed to do different now that we were a couple. Did we just swim and play like normal? Teemo answered that question for me; though he started swimming away from me as fast as he could, and I followed in hot pursuit. What did he have planned? Eventually he went into shallow water, and I managed to catch up to him,

"What was that all about? I asked him, a little out of breath.

"It looks like you caught me." He responded, giggling a little before he brought me into a hug. It looked like he wanted to play hard to get, and I was happy to play if that was the reward at the end. His fur felt really good against mine; the warmth of his body was a nice contrast to the cold water around me. After a little while we let go of each other; this time it was his turn to chase me.

I didn't try very hard to keep away from him though, so he caught me pretty quickly. He could tell what was going on though, because he said to me,

"You let me catch you Kennen."

"Maybe I did. What are you going to do about it?" I asked him playfully.

"I might just do this." He responded, bringing me into his arms again. We just stood there in the water for awhile, holding each other. It felt really amazing to have another living soul so close to me like that, to feel his heartbeat against my chest, his fur against mine, and the warmth of his body all around me. I could tell Teemo was having a similar experience, because he spoke softly into my ear, saying,

"I really like it when we do this Kennen."

"I do too Teemo. We should do this again more often." I replied.

"For sure. But for now..." He said to me playfully as he broke our embrace and began swimming off again. Of course, I swam after him. We played cat and mouse games like that for awhile. It was a lot of fun, but as time went on, it turned into us just cuddling together in the water. That was perfectly fine with me though.

After awhile Teemo let me know he was getting cold, so we got out of the water. Teemo went straight for his towel, sat down, and started drying himself off. It seemed like he was really shivering, so I got up, sat down next to him, and draped my towel around both of us.

"Thanks Kennen," he said me, his teeth chattering a little. "The water really penetrated my fur. I'm glad I have you to help warm me up."

"I'm glad for that too." I told him, bringing my body closer to him and putting my arm around his waist.

After awhile his shivering started to die down, but that didn't mean he was done cuddling yet. I was glad he wasn't, neither was I. He took my now wet towel from around us put it away, then laid down on his side next to me. He asked me to join him, and of course, I obliged. Pretty soon it was just both of us laying down on the lakeside together, staring into each others eyes. Teemo was the first to move, bringing his arms around me and pulling me close to him. He buried his face into the fur on my chest.

"Your fur feels so nice and warm Kennen," he told me.

That made me smile. After a little while I asked him, "Did you ever think it would feel this way Teemo?" I asked him.

"Do you mean romance, cuddling?" he questioned me. "No Kennen, I didn't. Just having you with me like this, it's...it's more wonderful than I could have imagined. I'm so glad we decided to do this, to be together. I really like you Kennen."

"I feel the same way about all of it, and of course about you. I really like you too Teemo." I replied romantically.

After that we just laid there together cuddling for a long while, the sun beating down over us and the sounds of the forest playing in the back round. The only thing that interrupted us was the growling of our stomachs; while we were enjoying each others company most of the day had already gone by.

Teemo was the first to get up, ending our embrace. "That sure was something else, wasn't it Kennen?" he asked me as he opened the picnic basket to make us a late lunch."

"It sure was," I responded as I sat up next to him, caressing his cheek. He smiled at that.

"Do you think we're going too fast though Kennen?" he asked me, stopping what he was doing and sounding a little worried. "I mean, it's only our first date, and we're already holding each other so closely like that."

"Well, does it bother you that we're doing that?" I asked him in a caring voice.

"No, it doesn't," he told me, "That's what worries me. I actually really liked it. It's just I don't want to like you just because of the physical things like that. I want to be sure I like you for who you are Kennen."

"I've had the same kind of worries too Teemo," I replied, "But then I think about what great friends we became before all of this started. We already knew we liked each other as people. This is just us taking the next step. Does that make any sense Teemo?"

"Yah, it really does Kennen." Teemo began, "I was just nervous because I want our relationship to work out, for nothing to go wrong. I'm glad you think what we were doing is okay, because I want to do that a lot more with you. Now, how about we make ourselves some food, alright?"

I agreed, and within a little while we were both having a romantic lunch together on the lakeside. When we finished eating it was already mid-afternoon, so we decided to head back to the Institute of War. We got up together and walked back into the forest; I put my arm around his waist, and he around mine. It really was the perfect way to end our date.

We took our time getting back to the Institute; I wanted to draw out our alone time for as long as possible. Inevitability, though, we made it back and went inside. We got some odd stares from some of the other people and yordles as made our way through the halls towards Teemo's quarters. There weren't any other couples like us, or really that many other couples at all in the Institute, but I wasn't ashamed for others to see I was with him. It didn't seem like it bothered Teemo either, and that made me glad. Eventually though we arrived at his quarters and had to say goodbye.

"I had a really great time Teemo. Thanks." I told him as we stood outside his door.

"Me too Kennen," he said to me, bringing me into an embrace. He did something that surprised me then; he started bringing his face towards mine. I started doing the same towards his, meeting him halfway. For a few brief moments our lips touched; he was kissing me, and I was kissing him back. As soon as it began it was over. My first kiss, I was speechless.

"Bye Kennen," he told me, giving me a quick squeeze before he went back inside. I stood in front of his doorway for awhile, in shock from what just happened.

'Wow, did he really just do that?' I thought to myself after awhile, still in the moment's afterglow. Eventually I brought myself back onto Runeterra, and rejoined the real world. I started going back to the Kinkou Order's dormitory to end my day. It felt like I was walking on clouds; it was easily one of the greatest days of my life.


	9. A Sleepless Night

**Author's Note: Sorry for not updating in such a long time; I had a lot of problems come up all at once in real life. I'll start updating regularly again now that things have died down. Thanks for reading, and any reviews you make are appreciated!**

Pretty soon I was back at the Kinkou Order, and I let myself inside. I saw Akali sitting in the dining area, presumably having dinner – she called to me,

"Hey Kennen, you're back. Are you hungry? Care to join me?"

"Sure!" I replied enthusiastically, walking into the kitchen to fix myself a plate of food. Whenever anyone made food in the Order, they always made enough for everyone else. This time was no exception. When I finished, I brought my plate up to the table. Akali took it from me and set it down on the table for me; I never could quite reach the tabletop on my own. I then climbed up on my high chair in order to join her.

"Thanks for making dinner for us." I told her, about to start eating.

"So, you seem a lot happier now than you did yesterday morning." Akali said to me in between bites.

"Yah, you always could tell with me." I replied, "What gave me away this time?"

"Just the tone of your voice and your body language, or maybe it was how you haven't stopped smiling since you got back. So what happened today that gave you such a sudden change of heart?" Akali asked me.

"Teemo kissed me." I blurted out. That made me panic a little; it probably wasn't a good idea to tell her that. I just couldn't help it though; what Teemo did – what we did - just made me feel so good. It just came out.

"Teemo kissed you?" Akali questioned me, confused.

It was already out in the open, so I figured I might as well tell her everything, "Yah, and I really liked it." I began, trying to sound confident, "He took me out on a date today, and at the end of it he kissed me."

"Kennen, I don't know how I feel about that. Do you really think deciding to go out with him was a good idea?" Akali asked me, sounding a little worried.

"Look, I know what you're worried about Akali, and just like before it doesn't change my commitment to Ionia. All this means is when we're spending time together we'll be dating, instead of hanging out. Nothing really changes, and us being together makes me happy, so I don't see any problems arising." I replied.

"Kennen, you have to be honest with yourself." Akali began, "Love is selfish; if Teemo ever comes to occupy a dear spot in your heart and mind, it may come at the detriment to everything else you care about. There are a lot of people back home counting on you, and I don't want you to ever have to make a choice between him and Ionia. It wouldn't be right if you let an entire people down after pledging to defend them."

"There aren't any problems between Bandle City and Ionia; we would never be pitted against each other." I responded defensively, "He might just give me something else to fight for. This doesn't have to be a big deal."

"Kennen, we can never know the future. But what we do know is how you've been acting since you decided to pursue a life outside of the Order in addition to the one you have here. You've been through a lot of ups and downs since then, and your downs have really hurt your performance on the field whenever you have had them. If you're down at an important moment and fail, that negatively effects a lot of people." Akali told me.

"Everything has worked out now though." I retorted, "Why should anything else have to go wrong?"

"All I'm trying to say is that there's a lot that has to be thought through because of this, Kennen." Akali responded, "We don't have to do it now. You know you'll have to tell Shen about this though, right?"

"Yah, I know, and I will." I told her. That was clear to me from the moment I opened my mouth. It definitely wasn't a conversation I was looking forward to.

With the hard part being over, our conversation started to take a lighter turn. I sometimes forgot Akali could act like a friend towards me instead of just a mother.

"So Kennen," Akali began after a brief silence, "How did you know that you were...that way? Have you always known?"

"What do you mean?" I asked her, a little confused.

"That you liked other male yordles. Other men." Akali said.

"You mean gay? I didn't know, not until a few days ago. Teemo told me he liked Tristana, and how she made him feel. The way he described it, it sounded like how I felt towards him. That's how I knew." I explained to her.

"So how did you two end up getting together then?" She asked.

"I told him how I felt, and he didn't know how to react at first; he left, and I couldn't find him all of yesterday to work things out. I was afraid I lost him." I told her.

"So that's why you were acting so distraught. Go on." Akali interjected.

"Yeah. He came by this morning though," I continued, "and told me he had feelings for me too. He asked me out, and we spent the whole day at the lake together. He really makes me happy."

"I'm glad he does Kennen, but that also makes me worry for you. If it ends up being the best decision for the Kinkou Order that you to split up with him, I would hate to see how that would affect you." Akali told me; she really did sound concerned.

"I know; that that could happen has me really worried too. Do you think we have a chance Akali, Teemo and I? Of us...working out?" I asked her. I almost didn't want to ask that; I was worried how she would respond.

"Look Kennen, I just don't know." She began, "But what I do know is that my mother was in the Order when she had me as her child. She was able to have a family, to have a life. It wasn't easy on me though; with her the Order always came first in her life. It had to, just like it has to in all of our lives. If you ever let him make you lose sight of that, a lot of people will suffer. That doesn't have to mean you can't be with him, but what it does mean is we have to be really careful moving forward. We can't afford to make the wrong decision, not with Noxus at Ionia's gates. Do you understand?"

"I do Akali." I replied. After that, we finished the rest of our meal in silence. I had a lot to think about now. She gave me hope that Teemo and I could have a future, but also a lot of fears about what our future together would be like. If the Order always had to come first, would that be fair on Teemo? Could I put him through that, always being second in my life? If it turned out we could stay together, I would have to ask him these questions. I was afraid how he would respond. I couldn't worry about that though; I had to deal with Shen first. If I got permission from him to stay with Teemo, only then did those things begin to matter. First things first, after all.

"So, where is Shen?" I asked Akali as I climbed down from my chair to put my dishes away, having finally finished eating. He had been strangely absent since the time I got back.

"He said he would be back late. He's busy arranging another League match with our ambassador." she responded. Good, that gave me the at least the rest of tonight to avoid talking with him about Teemo. I definitely wasn't ready to face that yet.

"Thanks," I replied. I finished cleaning up, then went to my room to get ready for bed. I went through my night time routine, and pretty soon I was showered, clean, and in bed. It was still a little early, so it gave me time to reflect on my day. On Teemo and I's date together. I know it just happened, but I already had so many good memories. Thinking about it made me miss him; I missed his touch, his smile, his laugh – just really everything about him. His memory made me forget all of my worries; even if we couldn't be together, we were happy then. We're still happy now. No matter what we had that. His memory kept me company until I went to sleep; I slept soundly that night.

I woke up the next morning to a loud knocking sound at my door. I threw my covers off of me, rubbed my sleepy eyes, and then got up to open the door. I must have started to sleep in, and Shen was here to wake me up. Akali never knocked that violently.

I opened my door, and saw Shen towering over me. No surprise there. But what was surprising was that Teemo was standing next to him, smiling at me.

"Someone is here to see you; don't let him make you late for training." Shen ordered me gruffly before walking off.

"Hey Kennen," Teemo said, greeting me. Then, seeing how I was dressed, he continued, "Sorry, am I here too early?"

"No, not at all. It's actually a pleasant surprise. Why don't you come in my room?" I asked him, stepping out of the doorway so he could come in. When he got inside I closed the door behind us to give us some privacy. I didn't want Shen to see us together yet, at least not romantically.

"It's good to see you." I told him, bringing him into an embrace. "So, what brings you here so early?"

"I came to tell you something." he said to me after ending our hug. He sounded a little playful; I was excited to hear what he had to say.

"Oh, do tell then." I responded, matching his playful tone.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that after practice you're coming over to my place tonight. I'm making dinner for both of us." he informed me. I loved the way he asked me out; it was just assumed we wanted to be together and that things would work out.

"That sounds wonderful. You know, sometime I want to be the one to take you to do something." I told him. I really was starting to feel bad; he shouldn't always be the one who had to put in the effort.

"I know, and you will sometime. For for now though I'll get out of your hair. Shen didn't seem too happy, and I bet you have to get ready." Teemo said to me.

"Shen never seems too happy," I responded; we both laughed a little at that. "Well, I'll see you tonight then. Bye." I continued, bringing him into a hug.

"Bye Kennen." he replied, giving me a quick peck on the lips before breaking our hug and walking out the door. That really made me smile. I was glad he felt comfortable with kissing me already. It seemed like he accepted his feelings for me rather quickly.

Now that he was gone I could start getting ready for the day. I got dressed and ate breakfast, then went off with Shen and Akali to the training grounds. The day couldn't pass quickly enough; I was so excited for that night. Eventually though, after what seemed like forever, practice finally ended for the day. I went back to the Order's dormitory to shower, clean myself up, and put on clean clothes. When I was finished I told Shen and Akali where I was going and that I would be back later that night, then ran off towards Teemo's place.

I knocked on his door, and pretty soon after he answered.

"Hey Kennen, good to see you again!" Teemo said, greeting me with a hug and a quick kiss.

"Hey, good to see you too. Thanks for having me over." I responded.

"Of course, why don't you come inside" Teemo asked me. I did, following him in. He closed the door behind us, and then it was just us, alone together.

"I just finished making dinner for us a little while ago," he told me, "So if you're hungry, we can eat now, and if not...I was thinking maybe we could talk and cuddle for awhile."

"As much as I'd like to cuddle, I think I'm ready to eat now; I'm always really hungry after practice." I said to him.

"Alright," he responded, leading me to his dining area and sitting me at his table. "Just wait here, and I'll bring us out our food." He finished. The smells coming from the kitchen were wonderful, and the table was beautifully set with it's tablecloth, centerpiece, and candles. He clearly went through a lot of effort to make this special for us.

Pretty soon Teemo came back with our food, and as he set down our plates down on the table I told him, "Teemo, it was really sweet of you to do all of this for me. You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to for you. You're worth it." he explained to me romantically, caressing my cheek and giving me a kiss before he sat down.

I was really hungry, and I started eating immediately. It tasted amazing, far better than the kind of stuff I normally ate.

"I didn't know you could cook so well." I said to him in between bites.

"It wasn't all me," he told me modestly, "I got a lot of help the with recipe and choosing ingredients from some of the cooks."

"Well, you were still the one to prepare it, and I don't think any of them could have done any better." I explained.

"Thanks Kennen; I'm glad you like it. I'll cook for us more sometime then." he told me.

"I'd like that." I responded, smiling at him. He smiled back at me.

I finished my food far faster than him; he wasn't hungry from a long day of physical exercise like I was. We lightly chatted as he finished his meal, telling each other our how our days were, about Bandle City, Ionia, and our pasts. Just in general getting to know each other better. When he made it clear he was finished eating, we both got up and I started to clear the table to bring the dirty dishes into the kitchen.

Teemo stopped me, saying, "Kennen, I can clean up later. Why don't we just enjoy the time we have together."

"I think that's a great idea. Thanks." I responded. Teemo then led me to his bedroom; I wasn't sure what to think about that. It made me a little nervous What was he planning? I had to ask.

"Teemo, what were you thinking we're going to do in here?" I asked him.

He could tell what had me worried right away, and he was quick to reassure me, "Nothing like that Kennen. I think it's way too early before we start thinking about...that. I was hoping maybe we could just lay down, cuddle and possibly talk for awhile."

"Alright, good. I feel the same about 'that' way as you do." I told him, calming down, "and I think nothing would make me happier than to be close with you like that."

Teemo took off his boots and laid down on his bed, then gestured for me to join him. I did, and we put our arms around each other and pulled ourselves close together; he buried his face in my chest.

We just stayed there like that for awhile, enjoying each others presence. Just like before, I was in disbelief how good it felt to have him next to me, to have another living soul so close. Eventually Teemo was the first to move. He brought his face up to mine, and kissed me, then kissed me again. I could tell what he wanted, and I started kissing him back. My lips felt electric; it was a new experience for me, and I was really enjoying it. In that brief amount of time I never wanted to feel his lips apart from mine. I wasn't sure how long we went on like that, but inevitability we had to break our lips off from each other.

During that brief pause sat up and took my shirt off, then he did the same. I wanted to feel my fur against his, to have my body in direct contact with him. Pretty soon we were back in each others arms, cuddling and kissing again. In between kisses I told him,

"I hope this never gets taken away from us Teemo."

That made him stop, and he looked into my eyes, asking, "Why would it be, Kennen?"

"Ugh, Teemo," I said a little exacerbated, "It's just, Shen doesn't know we're together like this yet. He was barely okay with us being friends, and I'm afraid of how he'll react towards us, and of what he might make me do."

"Oh Kennen," Teemo began, sounding sympathetic, "Things will work out for the best. We both really care about each other; we'll find a way. I promise. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Teemo. I hope you're right." I responded. I wasn't nearly so confident, but it made me feel good that he was.

After that, we went back to cuddling and kissing each other. We were definitely making the most of our time together. Being together with him like that really made life worth living for me. After awhile though our pace started to slow until we finally stopped making out all together. I started feeling really tired; a lot of time must have passed since we first laid down on the bed together. Eventually we were just laying there in each others arms, enjoying the others presence. He was just so warm and comfortable, that I started drifting off to sleep. It was by far the most comfortable I have ever been in my life.

I was awakened a little while later by violent shaking; Teemo had grabbed me by the shoulders and was jerking me up and down.

"I'm awake, I'm awake!' I told him, startled. He let go of me, and I set up next to him, looking at him. He was shaking, and he looked scared. "Are you alright Teemo" I asked him, concerned.

"We fell asleep Kennen! I'm just not ready for you to spend the night with me yet. You...you have to leave. Now." Teemo said to me; he sounded like he was on the verge of crying.

"Teemo, you didn't answer my question. Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." I questioned him.

"It's just...you wouldn't understand. I'm not sure if I could tell you anyways. Just please Kennen, don't make this hard. It's not you, it's me. I just need you to leave right now, okay?" Teemo pleaded with me.

"Teemo," I began, "This has you really shaken up. I would hate to leave you when you're feeling like this. I'm you're boyfriend Teemo, and I want to be there for you. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Kennen, I don't know. It's just..." he said, trailing off. It took him awhile before he started speaking again; it looked like he was deep in thought. Whether or not to tell me what was bothering him must have been a hard decision to make for him. Eventually, he continued, "Promise you'll keep this between us, alright? I've never told anyone this before. It's really important to me this doesn't get out."

"Of course, I won't tell anyone. You can trust me." I promised to him.

"I get nightmares Kennen, almost every night. I have trouble sleeping most of the time. It's almost too much to handle sometimes." Teemo said, the fur around his eyes getting wet from his tears. It really hurt me to see him like that; I put my arms around him, and he buried his face into my shoulder, crying.

"What do you have nightmares about Teemo? What do you think gives them to you?" I asked him in a caring way.

After awhile he managed to control some his crying to the point that he could answer me, saying, "It's a long story. I have this reputation for being cold hearted on the battlefield, but cheery in everyday life. It's true, I am, but most people think that means what I do in combat doesn't affect me. That's just not true. It eats me up inside Kennen." That brought on a whole new wave of crying. I patted him on the back, and drew him a little closer to me, doing my best to comfort him.

"Oh Teemo, I'm so sorry." I told him, "How exactly does all of this happen?"

When he managed to regain his composure again, he looked up at me and continued telling me his story, "It's like there's a voice inside me Kennen. When I step onto the battlefield, it just takes over. I feel like whenever I'm in combat I sit back and watch myself do all of these terrible things, and hurt so many other people. It's just horrible, and I don't know what to do."

When he finished telling me that, he started crying into my shoulder again. I ended up staying up with him the whole night, just holding him and trying to make him feel better. It was hard to believe that he kept up such a cheery demeanor and can do attitude every day despite these feelings clawing at him on the inside. It was incredibly strong of him, and I admired him for that. Eventually, after many hours had passed, his crying died completely down and he fell asleep in my arms. I laid him down gently onto his bed, brought his covers over him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead before getting up to leave.

I put my shirt and shoes back on, then looked up at his clock. It was already morning, and time to begin training. Today was going to be a long day, but I didn't have any regrets. It was great spending time with Teemo, and I was glad I could be there for him when he needed it. If that meant I had to miss a nights sleep and have a bad day at training, then so be it.


	10. How do you know, Teemo?

**Author's Note: It's always uncomfortable for me to write about them taking new step into their relationship, but by the end of the chapter I always end up getting over it. In that sense, I think it's really helping me get over my prejudices. Aside from that, thanks for reading; I hope you've been enjoying the story thus far. As always, I'd appreciate it if you would review the story. **

As I was walking back to the Order to find Shen and Akali, the gravity of the situation I was in started to hit me. If I preformed terribly on the training field again like I did a few days ago, and then if afterwards Shen found out it was because I got together with Teemo, things would not be looking good for me – for us. There wouldn't have been any way to hide the reason for my poor performance from Shen either, and besides, that wouldn't have been right. Shen Akali and I had to be able to trust each other. That really only left me with one option – I had to tell Shen about me and Teemo. It wasn't a conversation I was excited to have, but it seemed like our only chance of being able to stay together.

When I made it back to the Kinkou Order, I let myself inside. Looking around, I saw Akali in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone; she greeted me as I came in, and I greeted her back. I didn't see Shen around; he must have been in his room, still getting ready for the day. Hoping that was the case, I went to his door, and knocked. Shortly afterward, he answered.

"Hey Shen," I began a little sheepishly, "Do you have a moment to talk?"

"Is this about why didn't you come back last night?" Shen questioned me; he didn't seem too angry, at least not yet. I bet he was glad he didn't have to find me and force the issue.

"Yah, it is." I replied.

"Alright, why don't you come inside?" he continued, leading me into his room. He pulled a chair up for for me, and I climbed up onto it. He then sat across from me on his bed. Shen began the conversation, asking me,

"So, what do you have to tell me?"

"A lot," I began, taking a deep breath, "I'll start with last night; I ended up staying up all night with Teemo yesterday. I'm his boyfriend now, and he needed me."

"Teemo is your boyfriend now?" he questioned me, immediately zeroing in on the most important words of my admission.

"Yah, he is." I answered steadily, but not defiantly. I didn't want to give the impression that I was challenging him, and I wasn't either. All I wanted was for us to get along.

"Kennen, you keep putting me into positions like this." Shen began, "You've known your whole life about why we discourage fraternization with outsiders. What exactly do you want to me do with this information? Why do I always have to be the bad guy?" Shen asked me. He didn't sound angry, only disappointed in me. Somehow, that seemed a lot worse. I've never looked at the situation from his point of view before. It was true; it has been my fault we've been pitted against each other like we have. He was one of the closest things I had to family, and in a little over a month I managed to mess up our relationship. Why did everything have to be a give and take between us?

"Look Shen, you're right," I told Shen sincerely, "and I'm sorry for putting you in this position so often. I really don't know what you should do next, but you should know Teemo has made me happier than I've ever been. I care for him a lot, and I don't want to lose him."

"I know Kennen, and that's the problem." Shen responded, sounding frustrated and dejected at the same time.

"So what now then?" I asked.

After a little whiles thought Shen answered me, "Kennen, the League season will be ending in a three weeks, and after that, as you know, we'll be returning to Ionia. We still have a few matches between then and now, and I don't think it would be a good idea to ruin your emotional state by splitting you and Teemo up right now. That would really throw off your performance. By coming to me it's clear you that you want to do the right thing, so for now, we'll leave things as they are. When the season ends, we can talk about the future, alright?"

"Alright, that sounds like a plan. I feel a lot better that everything is in the open now. I'll see you at practice, Shen." I replied, getting down from his chair to leave. Shen stopped me halfway to the door, saying,

"Wait, you said you didn't sleep last night, right?"

"Yah," I responded, turning around.

"You're not useful to us tired then. You can take a nap, and then meet us on the training grounds in the afternoon." Shen told me understandingly.

"Thanks Shen." I replied.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for the group." Shen said to me as I left his room and closed the door behind me.

Getting outside of Shen's quarters, I walked down the hall and immediately went into my room to get some sleep. The time it took to get dressed into my sleeping clothes, climb into bed, then fall asleep gave me a chance to reflect on my talk with Shen. I realized I felt bad for him, and that was a new emotion for me. Everyone is fallible, I figured, but it never seemed like he was. He definitely seemed more human than normal, and maybe that meant Teemo and I could somehow come to an arrangement with him in the future. No matter what all of this meant though, Teemo and I were at least safe until the League season ended. Even if that turned out to be the last few weeks we would spend together, I knew we would live those moments to the fullest.

Akali woke me up in the afternoon when she and Shen arrived back at the Order's dormitory to get lunch. Having missed breakfast, I ate with them, then followed them to the training grounds to finish the work day. With the latest crisis with Shen adverted, all that was on my mind throughout practice was Teemo and how hurt and scared he was the last night. It killed me that after all of that he would have to wake up alone; that I wouldn't be there to comfort him if he still needed it. That's why I really wanted to check up on him and see how he was doing, so immediately after practice was over I told Shen and Akali where I was going, then ran off to find Teemo.

I actually ended up running into Teemo on my way Bandle City's section of the Insitute, in the grand entry hall. It looked like he was walking towards the main gates; I called to him.

"Hey Teemo, wait up for me!"

"Alright!" Teemo yelled back enthusiastically, turning around and stopping for me. I caught up to him pretty quickly, and, when I did, he brought me into an embrace.

"It's so good to see you." he said warmly into my ear.

"Definitely," I agreed. Then, ending our little moment of closeness, I continued, "It looks like I barely caught you. Where were you going?"

"Just to, you know, my spot." Teemo responded candidly. That had me a little worried for him; I knew he only went there when something was troubling him.

"Do you mind if I come with you?" I asked him. "If you want to go alone though, that's fine; I know it's a private place for you."

"You could never intrude Kennen. I'd love it if you came with me." he replied, smiling at me. He then took me by the hand and started bringing me outside and then down the Institute's steps with him. When we got to the forests' edge we paused for a moment, putting our arms around each others waists to begin our short journey together.

"So, Teemo, did you want come out here because of last night?" I asked him as we walked together, concerned.

"Yah, I suppose I did, in a way." He responded.

"Are you okay then?" I questioned him, "I was worried about you all day Teemo."

"That was sweet of you Kennen, but you didn't have to worry. I'm fine." He responded, then, giving me a little squeeze and smiling at me, he continued, "Actually, I'm better then fine." I was really glad to hear that from him; I hated to see such a normally cheery yordle like himself get down like that, especially because he was my boyfriend.

After that we spent the rest of our walk together in relative silence, throwing sweet little glances and smiles at each other every so often, with the occasional giggle in between. Pretty soon though the familiar path we were following began to end, and the treeline broke in front of us, laying bare the night sky for both of us to see. We made it to his spot. To our spot.

Teemo sat down back towards the same tree we first met each other at, and I sat down next to him. He snuggled up close to me, putting his arms around me, and I put mine around his. There was just so much involved in that moment that made it perfect: us holding each other so closely like that, with the warmth of his body giving a nice contrast to the cool night air, the sound of his steady breathing with that of the crickets chirping behind us, and, of course, of us just being together with so much beauty above and before us. I don't know how long we sat there together under the stars like that. It was just such a wonderful thing to experience with him; I don't think either of us wanted that moment to end. Eventually though, Teemo was the first to move, looking over at me. I looked back at him, and when our eyes met he brought his hand up to my cheek and then uttered to me,

"I love you, Kennen,"

That took me by surprise. Is this what love is like? I wanted to tell him that I loved him too, but I didn't want to be dishonest with him. So, even though I was afraid that I was going to offend him, I asked,

"How do you know, Teemo?"

"It's simple Kennen," he began explaining to me, "When you're around, it always makes me feel really good inside; I'm happiest when I'm with you. When you're not with me, all I can think about is how much I miss you, and how much I can't wait until the next time we see each other. You're just always in my thoughts. I can name a lot of reasons why you make me feel that way, reasons why I love you, but that's how you make me feel. So, I love you Kennen."

"If that's what love is, then, I love you too Teemo."

No sooner than when I finished uttering that phrase, he started bringing his face towards mine, and I his. Ours lips met in the middle, and we kissed. My heart fluttered, and my breathing hitched; the feeling of his lips against mine were incredible. It felt like the entirety of my soul was tied up in those few moments our lips met. We drew out the kiss, but eventually, like everything, it had to come to an end. After that we didn't say anything to each other for awhile; I think we both just wanted to bask in the afterglow of that moment, of our expression of love.

"That was incredible Teemo." I told him, the first one of us to break the silence.

"Yah Kennen, it was," he responded, his voice taking on a somewhat mystical tone like mine must have had.

"So," I asked him, "You never did tell me why you wanted to come here." Me saying that made Teemo grin at me little; I'm sure if he didn't have fur he would have been blushing.

"Well, I wanted to come here to help sort out my feelings. To decide if how I felt about you was love." he explained to me.

"It looks like we both answered that question for ourselves then." I responded.

"Yah, it does, doesn't it?" he agreed, pulling himself a little closer to me. "So what do we do now?"

"As much as I hate to say it, I think we have to get back. I really need to get some sleep for tomorrow." I responded, a little disappointment creeping its way into my voice.

"Okay, Love. Let's get heading back then." he said to me. I really liked how he called me that.

Reluctantly, both of us then got up and started heading back towards the Institute. Like before, we both had our arms around each others waist, keeping the other close. Soon again we were both at the Institute. We went inside, and Teemo then walked me back to the Kinkou Order's dormitory.

"Goodnight Kennen, I love you." Teemo told me outside of the front door as our final moments we would spend together that night were coming to an end.

"Goodnight Teemo, I love you too." I responded, hugging him and giving him a kiss before I walked inside and went to sleep.


	11. Putting On a Show

**Author's Note: It took awhile for me to get this next chapter up; I'll try and be better in the future. That aside, thanks for reading, and any reviews you make are of course appreciated!**

I woke up the next morning well rested; I slept soundly the night before, maybe more so than I ever have before. I don't think a worry in the world could have caused me to sleep badly after Teemo and I had our moment together like that. It just felt like things couldn't have been going better in my life.

Breaking myself out of my reverie, I got out from under my covers, hopped off of my bed and onto the floor, then quickly got dressed. Once that was finished, I left my room, ready to start my day. Looking around, I saw Shen and Akali were already awake, having breakfast. As per usual, I decided to join them. Whist we were eating, Shen told me about the League match he scheduled a few days ago. It would be taking place a couple days from now. Typically everyone would get the day off before a match in order to rest and prepare themselves mentally for the fight to come. This time wasn't going to be any exception, which meant I would have the day off tomorrow. That of course was fine with me; it would give me and Teemo more time to spend together.

The rest of the day went rather routinely for me; it was just another day at practice, if only just a little more intense than normal because of the upcoming League fight. When we finally finished our training I said goodbye to Shen and Akali and left in order to find Teemo. I resolved to spend every night I could with him, not only because we only had a few weeks left to spend together, as Shen reminded me yesterday, but because I wanted to be there for him in case he had any more of his nightmares. In case he needed me.

I made it to Teemo's place relatively quickly, and I knocked on his door. After waiting for a little while, he didn't answer, so I knocked again. Just as before, there was no response – it looked like I was going to have to go find him. I checked the cafeteria first in case he might not have wanted to cook for himself that night, but I didn't see him there. Next I went to look for him in Bandle City's training grounds; it was funny for me to think of him staying late there, given how much harder I seemed to work than him, but I didn't really know where else to look. Thankfully I managed to find him there; he was sitting on a bench on the sidelines with Tristana, talking and laughing with her. It looked like they were just finishing up their day and getting ready to leave.

"Hey Teemo!" I called to him.

Turning around, he called back to me, "Hey Kennen! Why don't you come over here with us?" Not even wanting to lose out on even a second we could be together, I gladly obeyed, running up to and then sitting next to him, putting him between me and Tristana. "We were just catching our breath and cooling down a bit before we left" Teemo explained to me.

"So, that's what you've been up to all day, training with Tristana?" I asked Teemo.

"No, we only spent the last half of the day doing that." Teemo told me.

"Yah, in the morning we got breakfast together and watched the latest league match on the arcane receiver." Tristana chimed in.

"Oh, alright." I responded, not really sure of what else to say. It made me a little jealous that Tristana got to be with Teemo all day; I knew they were just friends, but given how Teemo had feelings for her, I couldn't help but feel that way. Of course, I also knew Teemo would never do anything to hurt me, so I wasn't about to let myself to act on those bad feelings either.

"So Kennen, Ziggs and Tristana planned a little fireworks display for tonight. Just something fun for all of us yordles to do. I'd like it if you came with us, so how about it?" Teemo asked me.

"Yah, you're always welcome Kennen." Tristana added in.

"Oh Teemo," I said whilst looking him in the eyes, a bit disappointed, "I was hoping we'd be able to have some alone time together tonight."

"Kennen," Teemo began, "they've put in a lot of effort for everyone, and I'd like to go. Besides, I think it would be good for you if you came with us. You don't have any other friends besides me, and this is a great chance for you to make some. We'll always be able to spend alone time together."

"That's the thing Teemo, we won't. I've realized pretty recently that the League season is coming to an end soon. We only really have three weeks left to spend together. I just don't want to waste any of the time we have left." I confessed to him, a little sadness creeping its way into my voice.

"Kennen..." Teemo started, nudging a little closer to me and bringing his hand to my cheek. Still looking into my eyes, he continued, "Just because other yordles will be around, it doesn't mean we won't be together. You'll still always come first with me; it just a chance to socialize with some other yordles as well. It'll be fun; I promise. It isn't often we get to see a fireworks show. So, what do you say, do you want to go together with me?"

"If you think that would be the best way for us to spend some of the last bits of our time together, then I'd love to go with you." I told him.

"Are you sure Kennen, you're alright with that?" he asked me in a caring way.

"Of course; I just want us to be as happy as we can together. If that's what would make you happiest, it's what I want to do most." I replied, taking his hand away from my cheek. I meant every word I said.

"You two are so cute together!" Tristana blurted out, causing both of us to turn towards her. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I ruin you guy's moment together?" she continued after seeing our reaction, clasping her hands over her mouth.

"No, you didn't," Teemo told her, scooting away from me again and bringing Tristana back into the conversation. "We were just finished."

"When does it start?" I asked Tristana; now that I was committed to going, I was starting to get curious about it.

"When it gets dark enough. Seeing how the sun is going down now, probably in about an hour." Tristana explained to me.

"Wait, so you've been helping put the show together, and it's an hour away from starting, but you've spent the whole day with Teemo?" I asked her, confused.

"Kennen, this isn't an interrogation," Teemo reprimanded me. I guess sounded harsher than I though; my jealousy must have been getting through to me subconsciously.

"No, it's alright, I'm sure he's just curious," Tristana interjected. Then, looking at me, she explained, "Ziggs wanted to do all of the pyrotechnics; I just helped him make the fireworks."

"So what's the plan then?" I asked, my previous curiosity sated.

"Well, first we were going to go get you," Teemo said, rustling the fur on the top of my head, "But seeing as you did that part for us, we were going to get something to go at the cafeteria, then bring it with us to eat while we waited for the show."

"That sounds great; I haven't eaten since lunch." I told them.

"I know you haven't, Love." Teemo said, putting his arms around me and giving me a quick squeeze and peck on the cheek.

"What do you mean you know I haven't?" I questioned him; by then I was smiling.

"If you ever come to see me at night it's always straight after practice. You don't wait to eat." Teemo explained.

"Yah, I just get excited to see you. Why would I want to spend time doing that alone, when we could be doing it together?" I explained.

"There you two go being cute again!" Tristana exclaimed.

"Yah, sorry," Teemo said, scratching the back of his head and sounding a little embarrassed.

"I know what you're worried about, and you don't have to be sorry. I don't feel excluded," Tristana told Teemo. "Now, shall we get going?"

"Definitely," Teemo responded, taking me by the hand as we all got up together.

We then went to the cafeteria to get some food for ourselves. By that time I've gone there enough with Teemo that getting food from there for me was just a matter of course and no longer a special exception made one yordle to another for someone technically not associated with Bandle City. When that was finished, Tristana led us outside of the Institute of War and to the forests edge, at which point I asked her,

"So, where exactly did you guys set up the display?"

"In a clearing a little ways away. It's just far enough that other people in the Institute won't bother us, but close enough to not be a big inconvenience. " Tristana explained to me as she led us forwards into the forest.

It didn't take us that long to get there; it was maybe a little less than twice as far from the institute as Teemo and I's spot was, which made it a ten minute walk. Looking around the clearing, I saw the fireworks platform set up in the middle, and some distance away from it a good amount of yordles were setting down blankets, talking, and just in general making themselves comfortable before the show started. It seemed like all of the yordles at the Institute were invited, like Poppy's ambassadorial staff, maintenance workers, and anyone else off duty. It was a bit intimidating for me; I wasn't used to having so many people around.

"Hey, I'm going to go find Ziggs to see if he needs any last minute help." Tristana informed both of us.

"Okay, just be sure to find us when you're finished, alright?" Teemo told her.

"Definitely!" She answered enthusiastically before running off towards the fireworks platform.

"So, it looks like we're alone now." I said to Teemo playfully, letting go of his hand and putting my arm around his waist.

"Kennen, that's fine, we can do that, but I still want to be social." Teemo said to me, a little annoyed.

And social we were; Teemo brought us over to where Corki and Heimerdinger were sitting, and we joined them. We started eating, and whilst we ate Teemo struck up a conversation with them. It seemed like he could always find something to say; he was really good at holding a conversation. I, of course, would chime in when I could, but Teemo clearly had more practice with this kind of thing. A little while later Tristana joined us, and, when the two of us finished eating, we said goodbye to Corki,, Hemerdinger and Tristana in order to meet with some of the other yordles.

Teemo was really methodical about seeing everyone; we would join a group for maybe five or ten minutes, have a nice conversation, then move on to meet with another group. We saw our other fellow champions first, like Rumble and Poppy, but when that was finished, Teemo decided to do something really sweet. He made time for us to talk to the more anonymous non-champion yordles that worked at the Institute as well. It was really cute to see him converse with them; a lot of them seemed to look up to Teemo in one way or another for what he did for Bandle City both off and on the Fields of Justice. It looked like Teemo really enjoyed how other yordles appreciated the sacrifices that he made for them.

Of course, I would have preferred if we stuck to ourselves; you couldn't really have an intimate conversation, or let alone be intimate, among so many near strangers. But Teemo was having a great time, and that made it all worth it for me. It made me really glad just to see him happy like that, despite my preferences. Besides, through all of that I did find out one interesting thing – that the name of the cafeteria worker who gave me a free meal the day I met Teemo was Cliff.

Eventually it was announced that the show was about to begin, and at my request Teemo and I said goodbye to Cliff and his friends in order to find a spot alone together. We found an empty space in between the crowd, then sat down next to each other.

It didn't take long after we sat down for the show to start. We both craned our necks upwards as the first of the fireworks launched. When the first explosions began to light up the night sky, Teemo put his arms around me, and pulled me closer to him. I reciprocated, putting my arms around him and bringing us into a close embrace. As the show went on, I took my hand that was around his waist and brought it to his head, taking one of his little pointy ears into my hand. I started rubbing it in between my fingers, massaging his ear. I could tell he really enjoyed that, because he started leaning into my hand as if to tell me, 'don't stop.'

After a little while Teemo must have decided he should do something to return the favor; he took his hand from my waist as well, then slid it under my shirt, putting us in direct contact with each other. He ran his short paw-like fingers through my fur as he brought his arm back around me, then gave my side a quick little squeeze with his hand. That made me jump a little and jerk quickly away from him.

"Teemo! That tickled!" I told him in a loud whisper, looking over at him.

"Sorry Love," he replied softly, scooting next to me again.

After that we resumed what we were doing before, me massaging his ear, and him running his hand through my fur, kneading my back. Wanting us to be a little closer, I leaned into him then rested my head on his shoulder as I looked up into the night sky. It was really romantic sitting with him so closely like that as we watched the fireworks together, petting each other.

As the show went on the firework display got more intense, but I got more and more distracted. There was something, or that is to say someone, that occupied a bit more important place in my mind. As the finale started I lost interest in the fireworks altogether, and looked over at Teemo. I brought my hand that was around Teemo's front to his cheek, and turned his face towards mine.

"Kennen, what are you...?" Teemo said, but his words were cut short. I was kissing him. For a moment, he deepened the kiss, then just as quickly broke it, putting his arms between us and pushing away from me.

"We really shouldn't..." he told me, but it was a weak protest; I could tell there wasn't any feeling behind his words.

I brought one of my hands to the back of his head, and then moved my face towards his, kissing him again. Just like before, he deepened the kiss, but this time there was no protest – no sudden breakage. Teemo brought his arms back around me, pulling our bodies together once again. We kissed each other once more, then again, and once more again. Teemo then let himself fall backwards into the grass, pulling me down on top of him. Not wanting to waste a moment together, I brought my lips back onto his, resuming our previous little foray. As we kissed, Teemo closed his eyes and slid both of hands under my shirt and then up my back, grabbing two handfuls of my fur and bringing us into even closer contact.

Not to be outdone, I started petting him with my hand that was already around the back of his head, and massaged one of his ears with the other. Still kissing each other, I could feel Teemo open his mouth a little, and bring his tongue to my lips. I opened my mouth for him, and his tongue began exploring the inside of my mouth. Soon after he let me do the same with him; it was new, exciting, and I was really enjoying it. All of this, of course, was going on with the boom of the fireworks in the back ground, with the glow intermittently lighting up his face for me to see. It made the moment just that more romantic.

Eventually though, the show came to an end, but we were too absorbed in each other to notice. We just kept on as before, holding each other, petting each other's fur, kissing – just in general loving each other. It was silent for a while, but after some time I started to notice a few stray sounds besides Teemo and I's occasional moaning. There was some giggling around us at first, and then some light chatter on top of it. Teemo must have heard it too, because his eyes opened widely, and he pushed me off from on top of him.

My reverie then broken, I looked around, and saw a crowd had formed around us; many of them had lanterns. Teemo jumped to his feet, and I stood up slowly next to him.

"That was a mistake, we just got carried away, I'm so sorry!" Teemo exclaimed, addressing the crowd. He looked – and sounded – extremely embarrassed. The crowd started laughing after that.

I didn't really care what any of those other people thought though, it just mattered to me that the situation upset Teemo, so I put my arm around him and told him,

"I'm sorry Teemo, I shouldn't have let myself get carried away like that. We'll do better next time, alright?"

"Look Kennen, that's not helping right now." Teemo said as he threw my arm off of him, sounding distressed.

Thankfully though, we weren't alone in this, because Tristana shoved her way through the crowd and and ran up next to us, yelling to everyone,

"Hey, they made a mistake and embarrassed themselves, but it's over. You don't have to stand around them and laugh like that; it doesn't help anyone. Just get back to your nights and don't hold this against them, alright?" Thankfully, yordles tended to be more polite than humans, so the crowd took her advice and started dispersing. Of course everyone would be talking about it, some were still laughing, but at least the crisis was over relatively painlessly.

"Thanks Tristana, I don't know what got into me." Teemo told her, scratching the back of his head and looking down at the floor.

"You mean what got into us." I added in; I didn't want Teemo to feel alone in this.

"Well, let's get going back. I don't really want to stick around any longer." Teemo said to both of us. Then, looking at Tristana, he continued, "Next time you see Ziggs, thank him for me, okay?"

"Will do; I have to stick around for a little bit to help him clean up . I'll tell him right now." Tristana replied dutifully before running off to find Ziggs.

"So, shall we get going now then?" I asked Teemo.

"Yah," Teemo replied, grabbing me by the hand and leading us into the forest. It took us a little while longer to get back to the Institute than it did to get to the clearing; Teemo brought us back along a round about route to avoid running into anyone we, or that is to say he, knew. Eventually though, of course, we made it back to the Institute. I went with Teemo back towards his little apartment, and once we were at his door he told me,

"Bye Kennen."

"Bye?" I asked, "You know I have tomorrow off. Do we have to say goodbye already?"

"It's just, Kennen, I...just goodbye, alright?" Teemo said to me, sounding a little exacerbated.

"Are you upset with me Teemo?" I questioned him; I didn't want to leave until I knew this was resolved, until I knew things were alright between us.

"No Kennen, I'm not. It was just as much my fault as it was yours. I'm upset with myself. I'm a Scout, a Champion, I'm supposed to hold myself to a higher standard. I shouldn't have let it get that far. I let both of us get embarrassed in front of all of our friends. I let myself down, and I'm just not in that good of a mood right now. I'd just like to be left alone for now, alright?" Teemo explained to me. He might have been a bit generous calling them "our friends", but I understood then. He had an image he wanted to uphold; he wasn't supposed to have vulnerabilities. I suppose that was all part of being a hero and protector to so many people. He reveled in that role; I could tell by how happy it made him when so many of the other yordles told him how they looked up to him tonight – but who would look up to a hero that had nightmares every night, and desires just like anyone else?

"Alright Teemo," I began, "and again, I'm sorry. I'll get going now then, but if you have a nightmare, feel free to knock on my door. I want to be there for you, okay?" I told him. I hated having to leave, especially knowing how vulnerable he was at night, but if that was what he wanted, there really wasn't anything I could do.

"Okay Kennen. Thanks, and I will. Goodnight." He responded, giving me a hug then walking inside, closing the door behind him.

Well, it looked like I was going to be alone that night. Reluctantly, I left Teemo's doorstep, and made my way back to the Order's dormitories. I let myself inside, and, given how late it was, I decided to just go to sleep. I went through my nightly routing of showering and brushing my teeth, then got into my night clothes and climbed into bed. Unsurprisingly though, sleep just wouldn't come.

I couldn't stop worrying about what happened between Teemo and I tonight. I was hoping everything would blow over; I think Teemo was just embarrassed and wanted to hide for a little bit. Even so, I still felt bad. I mean, how couldn't I? I knew he said that he didn't blame me for what happened, but no matter what it was still ultimately my fault. I pushed him to do what we did, and it ended up hurting him. That was the first time I've ever done anything to harm him, and that made me feel terrible.

Besides, who knew how long he would want to be alone for? Would we even get to see each other tomorrow after what happened? I mean, how much time did I cause us to lose out on? We still had three weeks left to spend together, and that sounded like a good amount of time, but was it really? I only got two days off every week, which left us with only six days together. After tonight though, it probably meant we only had five days to spend together now.

That made me feel even worse; I should have picked up on his cues: he told me he wanted to be social, that I should try and make friends, and then to stop when I started getting too intimate with him. I felt like I let him down, and now we'd both be suffering for that.

After a couple sleepless hours of reflection on our failed evening together, I heard someone rapping at the front door of our dormitory. It had to be Teemo – I couldn't imagine it being anyone else. Maybe he had one of his nightmares, and decided to take me up on my offer from earlier. Well, whatever the reason was that he was here, I threw my covers off of me, hopped out of bed, then ran to answer the door.

Swinging the door open, I saw my suspicions were confirmed. There was Teemo, standing there on the doorstep waiting for me.

"Hey Kennen," Teemo said to me somberly.

"Hey Teemo," I responded, "Did you have one of your nightmares?"

"No, actually, I couldn't sleep." He told me.

"Yah, me neither. So, what brings you here then?" I asked him.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," he replied, bringing me into a hug.

"Oh Teemo," I began, still in his embrace, "What do you possibly have to be sorry for?"

Ending our embrace so he could look me in the eyes, he continued, "I shouldn't have sent you away like that. It was selfish of me. I got to thinking about what you told me earlier in the day, about how we don't have much time left to spend together. I let something small like this get between us; I was embarrassed, but it'll blow over. I haven't tried to think about us having to be apart so soon, because I knew thinking about that would get me down. But that made me forget how precious the time we have together is, and I was going to throw a lot of that time away for something everyone would forget about within a few days. So again, I'm sorry Kennen."

"Teemo, I'm the one who should be sorry," I replied, "I didn't take your wants and feelings into account. I knew you wanted to be social, but I was the one who pressured us to watch the show alone together. I was the one who pushed you into being as intimate with me as you were, even though you told me to stop. I crossed a boundary, and that...that hurt you." Those last few words made me choke up – I never wanted to be anything but a positive force in his life, and just the fact I was the exact opposite last evening tore me up inside. A few stray tears started rolling down my fur, and Teemo brought me back into his embrace.

"Oh Kennen, please don't cry. I know you never meant to do me any harm. We both made mistakes tonight, but everything's alright now. I love you, and nothing this small would ever truly get between us." Teemo told me in a caring way.

"I love you too Teemo, and I'm glad you believe that. Thanks." I replied, sniffling then ending our hug so I could wipe the tears out of my eyes. Once that was finished, I asked him, "So, what do we do now?"

"I'd really like it if you wanted to spend the night with me Kennen." Teemo told me cheerily, smiling. It seemed like he was already back to his old self.

"I'd really like that too," I replied, my voice still a little shaky from breaking out into tears just a moment ago. Our problems being resolved though, I smiled back at him, and with that he took me by the hand and started leading me back to his little apartment in the Institute.


End file.
